Following the recent outbreak of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in the country, the South African Police Services (Saps) has urged citizens to use the easy way to access police services and information, via the new MySAPS mobile application (app). This is also to enable every citizen to contribute towards building a safer society.
The purpose of the app is to also enable citizens to anonymously submit tipoffs about past or upcoming criminal activities (including those that are about the violation of the lockdown regulations), locate nearest police stations, view a list of missing people or those who are wanted by the police, and to view up-to-date crime statistics.
Some community members say they are not convinced that this app will address the high levels of crime, though, and say police need to change their tactics.
But minister of Police Bheki Cele says citizens can also report members of the Saps who break the law, so as to help make policing much easier.
Cele says the launch of the app will not be sufficient in addressing the scourge of crime.
“This cannot be the end, it’s only the beginning. Policing in the world is going to be run in the Information Technology ways, and this is the beginning and the contribution that the South African police are making.”
The minister says more police will be deployed in strategic areas around the country during the lockdown.
The police have warned that the app uses data, and say it is now available on the Google Play Store and also on Android and Apple devices.
Meanwhile, minister Cele and his deputy minister Cassel Mathale engaged with the management of police services following the ministerial visits to provinces to assess enforcement measures and adherence by the public to the Covid-19 lockdown regulations last Friday.
The engagement culminated in a joint statement by the Ministry of Police and the SAPS Management, expressing gratitude to the members of the SAPS, South African Defence Force (SANDF), Metro Police Departments and other law enforcement agencies, for their unwavering commitment and resilience in support of government’s efforts to combat the covid-19 global pandemic.
Minister Cele reiterated that, “Arrests can be avoided if people can listen and adhere to government’s call to stay home for their own protection against the coronavirus.”
At the same time, the Minister has also appreciated the positive response by an even greater percentage of the public, particularly those who continue to be the eyes and ears of the security forces in some residential areas in their effort to ensure that everyone is at home and safe.
The Minister has also appealed to civil society to work with and support government’s priority to get everyone to stay at home and save South Africa. Adhering to this call, galvanising society to stay at home, would minimise the burden on security forces in relation to policing during the lockdown.
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