By-law officers to be armed with pepper sprays
Boitshepo Majube | Friday January 31, 2014 17:19
By-law officers to be
armed with pepper sprays
BOITSHEPO MAJUBE
Correspondent
T
he Jwaneng Town Council has proposed that council by-law enforcement officers in the country should be armed with pepper sprays so that they can effectively execute their duties. In a letter to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Jwaneng Town Council through its clerk Dick Kalantle argues that for the officers to use force, search or seize and detain property and persons as required by the new Local Government Act, basic security equipment is required.
The council proposes a standard protective uniform for the officers. The council argues that in order to fully execute the duties by the use of force, power to search, seize, confiscate and detain property and persons as required by the new Local Government Act, basic security equipment is required.
It said its research reveals that basic s like uniform for operations are necessary. Under security equipment it proposes the use of handcuffs, pepper sprays and whistles. Kalantle explained to Mmegi that Jwaneng came up with this proposal after considering the duties of the by-law officers under the new law. 'We asked ourselves how we can position ourselves in order to execute these duties. That is how we came about with this proposal,' he stated.
Kalantle said that the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of councils met and formed a task team that will be submitting the proposal to the ministry.
Early this month, the ministry wrote to all City/Town Clerks and council secretaries, asking them for their input on the proposal from Jwaneng Town Council. 'The proposal should be considered alongside the welfare policy and budgetary provisions,' the ministry said.
Meanwhile, there are fears that the proposal from Jwaneng is ill-timed because it comes when the relationship between informal sector businesses and councils are at an all time low. Critics read a sinister motive in the proposal because by-law officers have never had to use force in their line of duty. They say that mostly, by-law enforcement officers deal with people that live under harsh conditions. Such people are honestly trying to make ends meet and usually they do not resist arrest or refuse with their goods when they are being confiscated. They said implementation of the proposals will mark a new era of confrontation between traders and officers. They add that even the police have never had to scare off traders through force.
In a letter to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Jwaneng Town Council through its clerk Dick Kalantle argues that for the officers to use force, search or seize and detain property and persons as required by the new Local Government Act, basic security equipment is required.
The council proposes a standard protective uniform for the officers. The council argues that in order to fully execute the duties by the use of force, power to search, seize, confiscate and detain property and persons as required by the new Local Government Act, basic security equipment is required.
It said its research reveals that basic items like uniform for operations are necessary. Under security equipment it proposes the use of handcuffs, pepper sprays and whistles. Kalantle explained to Mmegi that Jwaneng came up with this proposal after considering the duties of the by-law officers under the new law. 'We asked ourselves how we can position ourselves in order to execute these duties. That is how we came about with this proposal,' he stated. Kalantle said that the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of councils met and formed a task team that will be submitting the proposal to the ministry. Early this month, the ministry wrote to all City/Town Clerks and council secretaries, asking them for their input on the proposal from Jwaneng Town Council. 'The proposal should be considered alongside the welfare policy and budgetary provisions,' the ministry said. Meanwhile, there are fears that the proposal from Jwaneng is ill-timed because it comes when the relationship between informal sector businesses and councils are at an all time low. Critics read a sinister motive in the proposal because by-law officers have never had to use force in their line of duty. They say that mostly, by-law enforcement officers deal with people that live under harsh conditions. Such people are honestly trying to make ends meet and usually they do not resist arrest or refuse with their goods when they are being confiscated. They said implementation of the proposals will mark a new era of confrontation between traders and officers. They add that even the police have never had to scare off traders through force.