Police report highlights corruption, negligence

POLICE corruption, dockets vanishing, an increase in escapes from custody and thousands of stolen firearms on South Africa's streets.

These are just some of the shocking details revealed in the 2013-14 annual police report.

The report states that five dockets in the province were lost at SAPS premises and three lost at court or were not received back from court.

To curb theft of dockets, police spokeswoman Colonel Sibongile Soci said detective branches were equipped with lockable cabinets and burglar bars on the office doors and windows.

"A docket can go missing through negligence on the part of the investigating officer and/ or prosecutor," she said.

"If the investigation ... reveals that the docket went missing as a result of gross negligence and/ or suspected criminal activity on the part of the police member who last had the docket ...  such member is charged."

During the same period, a total of 1017 people escaped from police custody in 760 incidents nationally. - Gareth Wilson