CAPE TOWN, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- With more police stations being attacked, Parliament warned on Sunday that criminal syndicates are targeting police stations to obtain firearms for criminal activities.
"Police management should move with speed and determination on this matter," said Francois Beukman, chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police.
He was speaking after two more police officers were shot dead respectively in Delft and Khayelitsha near Cape Town on Friday evening.
"It is again a confirmation that a group of criminals in the country do not subscribe to the rule of law and a constitutional state, and law enforcement agencies must ensure that these criminals are arrested and brought before the courts," Beukman said.
Tactical training of police officers and proactive crime intelligence are key to addressing the current worrying situation, he said.
Furthermore, the deployment of sufficient members during the weekend and night shifts is also paramount, and station and cluster commanders should monitor the effectiveness of security measures at police stations, Beukman said.
There has been an increase in attacks on police stations across South Africa, which has one of the highest crime rates in the world.
Early this month, armed men attacked a police station in Kareedouw, Eastern Cape Province, and held an officer on duty at gunpoint, made off with a number of firearms from the safe.
In February, gunmen attacked a police station in Nqcobo, also in Eastern Cape Province, killing five police officers and an off-duty soldier, and stealing weapons and a vehicle before fleeing.
Police stations in the Free State and Western Cape provinces have also come under attack.
In most of the attacks, criminals took off firearms and ammunition from the police stations.
It is evident that the driving force for criminals to attack police stations is to obtain firearms, Beukman said.
There have been concerns that firearms stolen from police stations will add to the pool of firearms to be used in criminal activities.
Berkman urged community members with information on the location of the perpetrators and the stolen firearms to contact and inform their nearest police stations.
National Police Commissioner Kehla Sitole will be summoned to Parliament next week to brief the Portfolio Committee on Police on measures to increase security at police stations, according to Beukman.
The effectiveness of measures introduced by the South African Police Service (SAPS) management to ensure the safety at police stations and SAPS members in general will be under scrutiny in Parliament, Beukman said.
South African lawmakers have blamed the SAPS for the failure to implement effective safety strategy to protect police stations from attacks.
