Police killings spiked between April & June of 2023, crime stats reveal
he murder rate has gone down but there’s been a spike in police killings between April and June this year.
Thirty-one police officers, both on and off duty, lost their lives during this time.
Members of Parliament said they were alarmed and outraged by the attacks, saying it’s a sign of lawlessness.
They were briefed by the South African Police Service (SAPS) on Friday morning on the latest statistics.
n the period between April and June, 10 police officers were killed while on duty, while another 21 were killed off-duty.
In total, the 31 police killings during the period under review are 13 more compared to the same time last year when 18 officers were killed.
Twelve officers were killed in Gauteng, followed by six in KwaZulu-Natal and five in the Eastern Cape.
MPs said these were attacks on the state.
The Democratic Alliance (DA)'s Andrew Whitfield: "In the last quarter there was one police killing every three days, and this is an indicator of a society that no longer respects the rule of law."
African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) leader, Kenneth Meshoe: "This indicates that we are living in a country where lawlessness is becoming the norm, because when people attack police, they attack the state."
Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said the motives largely related to their work.
What's Your Reaction?
