The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) is barely able to function, shackled by a complete lack of basic resources and operational support. Officers are being set up for failure while the leadership within the department turns a blind eye to their daily struggles.
During our oversight visits across various regions, we have repeatedly encountered the same shocking reality. JMPD officers are being denied the essential tools they need to perform their duties. These are some of the basic necessities lacking:
– No communication infrastructure: Officers are expected to coordinate crime prevention and enforcement operations without two-way radios. Instead, they are forced to use their personal cell phones and airtime to call for backup or communicate with commanders and colleagues. This is a blatant risk to their safety and operational efficiency.
– No office Wi-Fi or functional equipment: Officers have no access to Wi-Fi at their stations, preventing them from filing reports or sending critical documentation. Many must travel to other city offices just to complete paperwork. There are no copiers available for affidavits or dockets, and some officers do not even have Commissioner of Oaths stamps.
– Deteriorating working conditions: The state of many JMPD offices is nothing short of disgraceful. Officers are expected to work in buildings that are in disrepair, with work offices that lack even basic furniture. In some cases, officers are personally paying to fix toilets because the department has failed to maintain its own facilities.
– No fine books: Officers are expected to enforce the law, yet many do not even have fine books to issue fines and carry out their duties effectively. How can JMPD be expected to uphold law and order when they don’t even have the tools to do so?
How can the department expect officers to serve and protect the community under such appalling conditions?
JMPD officers are being forced to dig into their own pockets just to carry out their duties – an absolute indictment of this administration’s failure to support the very people tasked with upholding public safety. The department is demanding excellence from officers while refusing to provide the bare minimum for them to succeed.
We demand an immediate and detailed report from the department explaining:
– Why have these critical issues – particularly the lack of radios, fine books, and network connectivity – have not been addressed.
– A timeframe of when these issues will be resolved.
The current state of affairs is unacceptable, and we will not allow it to continue. The City of Johannesburg cannot afford to have a police department that is being crippled by neglect and incompetence at the highest levels. If the leadership of this department cannot or will not fix these failures, then they must be held accountable.
Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department Shackled by Lack of Resources
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) is barely able to function, shackled by a complete lack of basic resources and operational support. Officers are being set up for failure while the leadership within the department turns a blind eye to their daily struggles.
During our oversight visits across various regions, we have repeatedly encountered the same shocking reality. JMPD officers are being denied the essential tools they need to perform their duties. These are some of the basic necessities lacking:
– No communication infrastructure: Officers are expected to coordinate crime prevention and enforcement operations without two-way radios. Instead, they are forced to use their personal cell phones and airtime to call for backup or communicate with commanders and colleagues. This is a blatant risk to their safety and operational efficiency.
– No office Wi-Fi or functional equipment: Officers have no access to Wi-Fi at their stations, preventing them from filing reports or sending critical documentation. Many must travel to other city offices just to complete paperwork. There are no copiers available for affidavits or dockets, and some officers do not even have Commissioner of Oaths stamps.
– Deteriorating working conditions: The state of many JMPD offices is nothing short of disgraceful. Officers are expected to work in buildings that are in disrepair, with work offices that lack even basic furniture. In some cases, officers are personally paying to fix toilets because the department has failed to maintain its own facilities.
– No fine books: Officers are expected to enforce the law, yet many do not even have fine books to issue fines and carry out their duties effectively. How can JMPD be expected to uphold law and order when they don’t even have the tools to do so?
How can the department expect officers to serve and protect the community under such appalling conditions?
JMPD officers are being forced to dig into their own pockets just to carry out their duties – an absolute indictment of this administration’s failure to support the very people tasked with upholding public safety. The department is demanding excellence from officers while refusing to provide the bare minimum for them to succeed.
We demand an immediate and detailed report from the department explaining:
– Why have these critical issues – particularly the lack of radios, fine books, and network connectivity – have not been addressed.
– A timeframe of when these issues will be resolved.
The current state of affairs is unacceptable, and we will not allow it to continue. The City of Johannesburg cannot afford to have a police department that is being crippled by neglect and incompetence at the highest levels. If the leadership of this department cannot or will not fix these failures, then they must be held accountable.