Missing exhibits worries commissioner
Mpho Mokwape | Thursday June 4, 2015 16:03
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday, Makgophe said that there have been incidents of exhibits going missing or being stolen while in police custody. “We have had instances where exhibits in storage are stolen or completely disappear and we are trying by all means to end the trend to avoid such in future,” he said.
Makgophe explained that in such cases where police officers are involved in the disappearance of exhibits, necessary disciplinary actions were taken.
“In the past some police officers have been charged and others dismissed from the force over missing exhibits and we will continue doing such as a zero tolerance to such behaviour,” he said. He said though they could not entirely run way from some of the ill discipline in the force, he attributed the problem of missing exhibits to lack of facilities resulting in them being moved often.
Makgophe said some police facilities were built a long time back without the provision of secured space for storing valuable items such as exhibits. “In such instances where a police station does not have storage, exhibits are often moved and there is often a possibility of them being stolen or just disappearing,” he said. Earlier on PAC member and Selebi Phikwe West legislator, Dithapelo Keorapetse asked the Commissioner what they were doing to curb the increasing number of cases where exhibits are reported missing.
Keorapetse said the number of cases, especially of criminal nature, had collapsed due to lack of evidence, which often was a result of exhibits being stolen while in police custody.
“Despite police’s commendable efforts of fighting crime, there are still worrying elements that over counter the good work especially the stealing of exhibits or exhibits just going missing in your watch,” he said.
On other issues Makgophe said they were aware of the growing number of illegal firearms entering the country noting that in all borders there are police officers checking such. He however said either way some of the illegal firearms find their way into the country through ungazetted areas resulting in the proliferation of the dangerous weapons used in different crimes. “We cannot deny the proliferation of illegal firearms in the country and as a force its in our mandate to protect the community and we try by all means to seize such weapons when found,” he said.
PAC member and Maun East legislator, Kosta Markus had wanted to know what the police was doing about the increasing number of illegal firearms in the country.
He said the increasing number of illegal firearms in the country was increasing the high level of crime and threatening the country’s stability.