Record your interactions with police to prevent abuse, City of Tshwane says

The City of Tshwane has issued a new directive that empowers the public to fight back against instances of corruption or abuse of power by police officers in the city.

The directive makes it clear that the public has two fundamental rights when dealing with police officers: to demand the identity of officers on duty, and to record their encounters with the officials.

In addition to empowering the public, the directive “also seeks to make our officers aware of the importance of always conducting themselves ethically, being fair and respecting the rights of others,” the city said.

The city said the directive means:

• The public has the right and is encouraged to ask Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) officers for their appointment certificates (a card identifying them as a police officer).
• The public has the right and is encouraged to record their encounters with TMPD officials. This includes videos and pictures of the officers, their appointment certificates and their vehicles.

“Considering the number of complaints the city has been receiving with regard to extortion, corruption and other cases of misconduct by TMPD officers, this directive is long overdue,” the city said.

Further, the city said that any members of the public who have been a victim of these acts by TMPD officials, should do the following:

• Open a criminal case at the nearest police station.
• Report the matter to the TMPD Integrity Unit on 083 657 2998 to enable an internal investigation into the conduct.
• Report the matter to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) at [email protected].

Tshwane Executive Mayor, Cilliers Brink, said that the measure is not only about protecting the public, but also the TMPD officers.

“We know that there are many honest, hard-working TMPD officers who are often on the receiving end of abuse by members of the public,” he said. “Abuse goes both ways. This is an essential measure.”

“We are working with complainants to make sure that criminal cases are registered in cases of abuse and extortion.

“Restoring the trust between the residents of Tshwane and members of the TMPD is important to us. We are working as a team, and we want to give the public the reassurance that, although we acknowledge that things aren’t going perfectly, we want to rebuild that trust relationship,” he said.

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