Police face elite unit revolt

LazyLion

LazyLion

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http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2012/11/27/police-face-elite-unit-revolt

The elite Special Task Force police unit is facing a crisis as many of its highly trained members threaten to quit.

Unit members have, in an 11-page memorandum, accused police management of ignoring grievances about failure to pay special allowances, allowing training by unqualified people and changing unit standards without consultation.
There are Special Task Force bases in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town.
Fifty-seven of the 93 staff at the three bases want to be transferred to other units.
The memorandum, handed to police managers two months ago, alleges that overtime pay, and the R6300 scarce-skills allowance, have not been paid for two years.
The force's members are paid the same as officers of corresponding rank in the police.
But, because of their special training, they are eligible for the additional allowance.
If the transfers are approved, the force will lose about 60% of its manpower.
The revelation of the walkout threats follows a week in which force members killed eight heavily armed robbers and critically injured eight in three anti-crime operations in Gauteng.
A task force member said he and his colleagues were tired of being told lies.
"We are prepared to die for this country but this is how we are treated," said the officer, who asked not to be named.
"We have genuine concerns that can affect operations but we are ignored," he said.
The deputy general secretary of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, Lebogang Phepheng, warned that the threatened exodus could plunge the police into a crisis.
"Just look at the work [the task force] did this week - stopping a major cash depot robbery and freeing a doctor being held hostage."
The task force is on standby for the seasonal increase in cash-in-transit heists.
"How police management can ignore these complaints is unimaginable. Not only is management endangering these members' lives, it is also putting those of the public in jeopardy," Phepheng said.
Despite repeated assurances, police management has ignored the grievances for years.
"A meeting was held on October3 at the safety and security sectoral bargaining council, where management promised to investigate the grievances within a month. Nothing happened.
"More promises were made but two months later nothing has happened," Phepheng said.
Police spokesman Brigadier Phuti Setati said police management was aware of the concerns.
"A task team has been appointed to investigate the allegations," Setati said.
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Just walk out and let things sort itself out.

If they remain on, then more and more empty promises will be made...
 
"We are prepared to die for this country but this is how we are treated," said the officer, who asked not to be named.
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Prepared to die for his country, but not prepared to give his name for his own rights.
 
These people are highly trained yet they get the same pay as a 'normal' police officer on the beat? That's just wrong. :(
 
and these guys all volunteer for the service, because of the danger SAPS decided that members could volunteer to undergo the selection process.
 
SteveO said:
and these guys all volunteer for the service, because of the danger SAPS decided that members could volunteer to undergo the selection process.
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And out of all those that apply less than 5% make it.

http://www.sapstf.org/Training.aspx
For example, the Special Task Force Training Course 25 of 2005 saw a total of 453 applicants with only 108 remaining subsequent to pre-selection. The reasons provided for rejection included lack of physical fitness or inability to swim. Of the 108 successful pre-selection candidates, forty-two (42) completed PREPCON while a mere twenty (20) candidates successfully finished ’vasbyt’.
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So sorry but this gravy is all mine and there is no extra gravy to pay the "workers"!!!
 
Not the type of guys I'd want to p1ss off.. I'd make a plan if I were the government.
 
Hopefully these guys will walk out and find employment in the private sector, or by a country that actually appreciates its officers.
 
marine1 said:
Another complete failure by this gvt.
No wonder all the guys want to leave :rolleyes:
Friend with some guys there - some left for Iraq, Afghanistan etc etc.
Best move they made.
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:wtf: sweet jeezuz ... somehow I doubt that. I understand they are being fsked over on their pay ... but Iraq, Afghanistan etc etc the best move they made???
 
McSack said:
:wtf: sweet jeezuz ... somehow I doubt that. I understand they are being fsked over on their pay ... but Iraq, Afghanistan etc etc the best move they made???
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From earning what R7k and now they are earning over 100k?
You tell me what the best move was.
These are highly skilled operators, its in their nature to do what they do, why not be looked after then?
ANC is heading down a slippery slope, you do not want these guys running around, being fcked over by the gvt.
 
marine1 said:
From earning what R7k and now they are earning over 100k?
You tell me what the best move was.
These are highly skilled operators, its in their nature to do what they do, why not be looked after then?
ANC is heading down a slippery slope, you do not want these guys running around, being fcked over by the gvt.
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I dunno ... maybe change their line of work?

I get what you are saying from purely a money perspective ... but I certainly wouldn't want to risk my life every day in the armpit of the world, for people who I don't know from adam and who are arguably getting up to some dodgy shyte in the first place
 
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