This report on IOL deals with police reluctance to take statements in what is alleged to be attempted murder.
Two Durban surfers who prevented a man from being drowned in a Women's Day murder attempt have slated incompetent police who have yet to take their statements.
Repeated attempts by Leigh Morum and Ross Badcock-Walters to provide police with detailed statements on how a beachfront brawl on August 9 led to a man being dragged to the water's edge and held beneath the waves have yet to bear fruit.
I experienced something similar when our company had a vehicle stolen. The thieves had actually only rolled the vehicle round the corner and down the road about 400 metres, and were trying to get it started when we found them.
Naturally they ran off in all directions, but that is where the fun really began.
I now go to the police station to report the theft (and recovery) of the vehicle. The duty officers were exceptionally reluctant to open (report) the case. Given that there was damage to the vehicle that I would be looking to insurance to cover - I had no choice but to force the issue. But let me make it plain - the police were not interested in having the theft reported, or a description of the thieves we had seen. In the final report, they would only record that the persons we had seen were not known to us. No further description. Given the attitude I don't think even a photograph would have helped.
Just last week an employee of mine went to draw money from an auto teller machine in a shopping centre and was robbed in the presence of the attending security guard. (Who did not provide any assistance).
She then goes to the local police station to report the crime. They refused to open a case as "there was no prospect of finding the robbers".
So now, three stories and a long post to make a rather short point:
Well done to our police for getting the year on year crime figures down....
