As a former NZ Police sergeant, I know firsthand how police fatalities shape one’s behaviour. The recent shooting of two officers in Auckland cuts to the heart of NZ’s trust-based policing policies.
Police officers in South Africa are four times more likely to kill themselves than be murdered.
Reuters/Dylan Martinez
While the unacceptably high rate of police murders in South Africa attracts much media coverage, the bigger problem of suicide among police receives little focus.
A Colorado Springs officer with a body-worn camera. There is growing support to introduce the technology in South Africa.
Reuters/Rick Wilking
Police brutality is an ongoing problem in South Africa. Police-worn body cameras may help reduce such incidents by improving accountability. They may also contribute to the safety of officers.
The conduct of police at colleagues’ funerals sheds light on police culture.
Reuters/Dylan Martinez
South African police are murdered at a high rate, making funerals and memorial services all too common. What happens and gets said at these services can help us understand aspects of police culture.