Cape Town - Provincial Police Ombudsman Johan Brand says he will investigate allegations of inconsiderate driving against SAPS members transporting inmates to and from Pollsmoor Prison.
Brand was reacting to a request by the DA constituency head of southern wards, Mireille Wenger, who was acting on the concerns of constituents in Constantia, Tokai, Kirstenhof, Lakeside and Muizenberg.
Spokesperson for the ombudsman, Deidré Foster, said: “We received a request for an investigation into the manner in which the SAPS drivers are allegedly operating the vehicles of the SAPS which may create a breakdown in relations between the SAPS and the community of Tokai or any other community in the province.”
Wenger, also chief whip in the legislature, said: “I received several complaints about the reckless driving of prisoner transport to and from Pollsmoor Prison, operated by the SAPS.
“These complaints were received through various channels including social media. With the assistance of community organisations, we were able to compile a dossier of 15 complaints. The complaints relate to allegations of prisoner transport driving on the wrong side of the road, near-collisions, damage to vehicles, jumping red lights and running road users off the road.”
In a Facebook post to the Kirstenhof and Environs Residents’ Association on November 1, Schmidt wrote: “There has been an outpouring of anger at how the prisoner transport vehicles are driving.
“If you have experienced a bad incident with respect to a prisoner transport vehicle, please Direct Message me.”
In a Facebook post to the Kirstenhof and Environs Residents’ Association on November 1, Schmidt wrote: “There has been an outpouring of anger at how the prisoner transport vehicles are driving.
Wenger said the ombudsman would place a notice in the Provincial Gazette calling for public comment.
“We urge all concerned and affected road users to contact the ombudsman’s office at [email protected] with their complaints.
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