Motorists who drink and drive in Durban this festive season could get away with it because many police officers in the city don’t have easy access to breathalysers.
The Montclair Community Policing Forum bought a breathalyser kit for the police station because it did not have one, said chairman Gavin Hegter.
He became aware of the problem when he accompanied police manning roadblocks during the 21 days of drug awareness in July.
“The police borrowed a breathalyser from the metro police, but the machine was faulty. They tested three people who were over the limit, but the machine showed negative results.
“The police then went to a tavern and tested a drunk person and the results were negative.”
Hegter said the police had to go back to the metro police and borrow another device.
“At roadblocks officers have to speculate whether a driver is under the influence.
A LONG WAIT
“If the officers take a motorist to a district surgeon to draw blood samples, it takes up to four hours just to process one person.”
It was after seeing the challenges the police encountered at roadblocks that the forum bought a breathalyser kit and gave it to the Montclair police, Hegter said.
“We saw a need for it. Although results obtained from a breathalyser cannot be used as evidence in court, the machine helps police make an informed decision on whether to take someone for blood testing,” he said.
National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said that results from breathalyser tests were inadmissible in court.
“We use blood test results,” she said.
DA provincial party leader Sizwe Mchunu said his party had learnt that the eThekwini alcohol testing centre was open only on Fridays and Saturdays. Police had to phone in advance and find out if it was open before they went ahaead with operations.
“Every year, the holidays are marred by carnage on our roads, in many cases the result of drunken driving.”
Mchunu said the police were given targets to reduce drunken driving and the Department of Community Safety spent millions trying to educate the public.
ESSENTIAL
“Yet it appears that not all police members are issued with the equipment that is essential to adequately enforce the law.
“It is believed that many Durban police stations are affected and have simply been left to purchase their own devices.”
In some cases community policing forums have had to raise funds for this.
Mchunu said he had sent questions to the MEC for Community Safety, Willies Mchunu, to get clarity on the issue of breathalysers and the alcohol testing centre.
Police spokesman Jay Naicker said the police worked with metro police, the Road Traffic Inspectorate and other role-players in dealing with drunken driving.
“All our drunk drivers are taken to alcohol testing centres, district surgeons or hospitals to have their blood drawn.”
The number of drunk drivers arrested every year was increasing because of the joint operations of various policing agencies that dealt with crime.
Naicker said police were concerned about people spreading the wrong message and encouraging people to drink and drive by creating the impression that this crime was not being policed.
Provincial community safety spokesman Kwanele Ncalane said the breathalyser issue was not of concern to the department because there were other mechanisms to test if people were driving under the influence of alcohol.
“For anybody to be making statements that the police do not have breathalysers is irresponsible,” he said.
“We are satisfied with the work done by police.
“We have integrated operations with other law enforcement agencies to target traffic violation and crime.” -The Mercury