'NO RESPECT' Find strategies before SA becomes lawless

RESIDENTS have expressed concern about the lack of turnaround strategies from police, despite years of research indicating that the public has little faith or trust in the SAPS.

- YOSHINI PERUMAL

Keith Pillay, 38, of Croftdene in Chatsworth, said he had lost faith in the police long before he became a victim to crime.

"In 2015, my home was broken into. Several items were stolen. Some were expensive, while others were irreplaceable because of their sentimental value. The SAPS forensic team did their job and lifted fingerprints. They even found a possible suspect through the fingerprint records. But that was where it ended. The case just faded away. Nothing was ever recovered. No closure. No justice.

"I had no faith in the police before this happened to me. I work closely with the community as a volunteer and noticed a pattern, where cases get opened, but they are never solved. Suspects walk free and the victims are left to move on without justice. Like many South Africans, I do not feel protected."

Pillay said the research "backed up" what the public had been saying for years.

"Corruption is rife. Officers get caught working with criminals. A report by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate in 2023/24, showed rising numbers of police misconduct and abuse. Many officers do not follow through on investigations or take hours to respond to emergencies.