6,500 cops ‘not enough’

THERE are only about 6,500 active members of the constabulary looking after a population of around 12 million, according to police commissioner David Manning.
“We (plan to) reach 8,000 to 10,000 by 2027,” he said.
Manning was highlighting the difficulty that members of the police force were facing in the law and justice sector.
He hopes that the recruitment drive which has resumed after a lapse of five years will boost police manpower considerably.
The force is divided into three branches: the regular force, reserve unit and auxiliary unit.
He said the plan was to build up the numbers in the three branches over the next few years.
“For example, the force intends to build up the auxiliary unit to about 5,000 personnel,” he said.
“They will pretty much be the village police who will work alongside the village magistrates.”
The force also plans to build the numbers in the reserve unit to 5,000.
“This would allow for the communities to be policed actively,” he said.
Manning said the police force would continue to recruit members of the regular force annually over the next five years. He stressed that community policing would continue to foster relations between the people and the police force, and the force needed manpower to do that.
It is part of the force’s strategy to combat crime.
They will also be working with the district and provincial administrators to solve the manpower issues.