SAPS: Rotten apples, rotten attitude

Let me tell you an interesting story. My little nephew aged 9 and his friend found a scooter in a park near his home and decided to hand it in to the neighbourhood police office (called 'Police Beat') about 1000m from the park. They walked there, left their details etc and left.

Yesterday, my nephew's dad (who is probably reading this) received a phone call from the chief officer who runs that office saying that since three months had elapsed and no one had claimed the scooter, by law the item became the property of the 'finder'. My nephew who could have just kept the scooter anyway was still rewarded for his honesty ultimately.

The point I'm making is this: if the police in Australia will take the time to record and monitor a kid's scooter for Pete's sakes and still find time to phone someone to collect the item, what does that say about the Australian police's philosophy of conducting business versus the South African police who cannot make the time to help a person who has just been held at gunpoint?

The long walk back to normality starts with taking care of the little things, like a scooter. The difference between these two attitudes is a million miles apart and explains why crime in Australia is virtually non-existent and South Africa sits atop a crime epidemic.

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A Durban woman, who was hijacked and taken on a terrifying ride, was then told by "unsympathetic" police officers that they couldn't help her and she had to find her own way home.

Elsa Dunmore, 24, who lives in Sea View and is a sales manager at a car sales outlet in Bluff Road, was approached by a "potential client" on Wednesday.

"He was a well-dressed white guy and seemed interested in this car. He said he wanted to go on a test drive and we then went down Bluff Road. I then told him it was time to go back. He said 'we're not going back' and stopped, pulled up his shirt and removed a gun."

Dunmore was then taken on a frightening ride around the Bluff for almost an hour.

Dunmore was finally dropped off at Benson Road in Montclair where she went to residents for help.

"He stopped the car and said that I should only walk away when he drove off or else he would shoot me. I then ran to a resident's home and he called the police. The Montclair SAPS arrived 45 minutes later.

"They were totally unsympathetic. They said they couldn't assist me. They then just left and I had to call my parents to fetch me," said Dunmore.

Dunmore's boss, Billy Kruger, was infuriated and then called the station.

"I tried calling one of these officers at the Montclair SAPS and he put the phone down on me.

"We then reported the incident at the Brighton SAPS and lodged a complaint about the Montclair SAPS officers. I am offering a R5 000 reward for anyone who can provide information."

SAPS spokesperson Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said Dunmore needed to lodge a formal complaint and thereafter action would be taken.