DAVID BRUCE: Police have a central role in establishing respect for human life

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South Africa Headlines News

A new report challenges the view that police in SA use widespread excessive force

The recent commemoration of 34 SA Police Service members killed in the line of duty over the 2020/2021 year was a solemn reminder of the dangers of law enforcement in SA. It also raises the question of how we should view allegations of generalised brutality frequently made against the SAPS.

police in SA, the rate of fatalities from SAPS use of lethal force is far lower than in Brazil, El Salvador and Venezuela. Whether because of SAPS training, anxiety about Independent Police Investigative Directorate investigations or simply because they have no wish to kill people without justification, most police in SA adhere to legal standards for using their firearms.

And misuse of force is not merely a case of a few “bad apples”. It is an SAPS organisational problem, because little is done to combat this sort of behaviour. The SAPS does not monitor or account for the use of lethal force by its members, and is therefore unable to assess where firearms are being used at higher rates than required or expected.

Police departments can better ensure that their officers adhere to high standards when using force if they implement “use of force” policies aimed at ensuring priority is given to protecting human life. In other countries these policies require police, where reasonable, to use de-escalation tactics that minimise the risk that lethal force will become necessary. They also highlight the risk to bystanders when lethal force may be required.

The memorial to the 34 SAPS members who were killed in the line of duty reminded us that police work is fraught with danger. But this should not discourage the government from further efforts to improve management of the use of force by police. International experience is that a focus by police on protecting life, which includes an emphasis on police safety, can be a win-win, both in reducing killings of police and unnecessary killings by police.

 

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