DURBAN - THE psychological state of eThekwini metro police officers has come under scrutiny following a claim that the officers do not have “access to quality” psychological help that they need to deal with the trauma they witness daily.
Chairperson of the city’s audit committee Nala Mhlongo said recently that the unit was faced with compromised health and safety of staff (due to) non-availability of psychological services.
These revelations were however challenged by metro police head Steve Middleton, who said members were getting the assistance they needed.
But some members of the unit said while psychological services were being provided, they were not helpful.
Mhlongo last week tabled a report that highlighted in very brief form, issues of concern in the unit.
It touched on both tools of trade shortages as well as provisions for health and safety. On the provision for health and safety, he said in metro police there was “compromised health and safety of staff (non-availability of psychological services)”.
A metro officer, who spoke to The Mercury on condition of anonymity, said there was a service provider meant to assist members who needed psychological help, but many felt this service provider was not helping.
He said a proposal had been put forward for the unit to have a chaplain to ensure that the members were properly attended to.
“The members are faced with financial problems, others with domestic issues and many feel that this service provider is just not helping. Some of them even use their own funds to seek help from private doctors and pay with their medical aid,” said the officer.
The source said the management of the unit had taken drastic steps to assist some of the officers that seemed to be struggling by limiting their contact with members of the public.
“Metro officers attend to accidents, shootings, and they see a lot of horrible things and that affects them.
“The issue of officers being traumatised by gruesome scenes is not unique to the metro police, even in the SAPS there might be similar situations, it is just that there are no numbers that have been collected on how many officers are traumatised.
“I know there has been a proposal for the unit to have a chaplain,” the officer said.
The audit committee also touched on the issue of shortages of working equipment and staff shortages. It said there were resource and staff constraints with the current shift system/patterns, poor functioning of members’ radios and lack of adequate tow trucks.
Another officer, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the issue of tow trucks was a serious problem. He said they had about four tow trucks that were ageing and not sufficient for the unit’s needs.
“We also have severe staff shortages. When the unit was formed, it was envisioned that by 2010 we would have 5 000 members. We have not achieved even half of that; we will be getting about 200 new metro police officers in the next,” said the officer.
Xolani Dube, regional secretary of the South African Municipal Workers Union in the eThekwini region, said the issues raised by the committee were confirmed by their members.
“On the issue of psychological services, we know that there is a service provider hired by the municipality to attend to the emotional and psychological needs of their staff, but we urge them to go an extra mile to find someone to deal with those members that are exposed to trauma.”
Middleton said that some of the information contained in the audit committee report was incorrect and he would investigate how incorrect information ended up in the report.
“There is no doubt that I would support the services of the chaplain, we unfortunately do not have such a post in our structure, but if possible, through corporate occupational health, we would most welcome it,” Middleton said.
THE MERCURY