KZN police scrutinised for heavy-handedness in gang shootouts

Police in KwaZulu-Natal have once again come under scrutiny for allegedly being heavy-handed in shootouts with alleged gang members. This comes after nine suspected gang members were shot dead by police in three separate incidents in four days in Durban and eMpangeni.

The deaths bring to 40 the number of suspects killed in shootouts with police since April this year.

Violence and policing researcher Mary de Haas says, “When you just shoot people dead you don’t know whether among them are innocent people.  It’s not correct and it shouldn’t be happening in the first place if the police were functioning properly. You wouldn’t have so many armed criminals around. That’s why we have a Crime intelligence. They are supposed to pick up where the guns are, they are supposed to pre-empt this type of thing to prevent the shootouts.”

KZN police have again come under scrutiny