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USER COMMENTS >"); document.write("
bring the army in
"); document.write("The sooner the better.How much longer are criminals allowed to do as they please.? When will the murders of our farmers stop? when will the killing of innocent people stop? How much more do we have to go through before something is done. The ANC have no clue.. Gary"); document.write("
Not a bad idea but...
"); document.write("We all know that SA is plagued by a crime pandemic. We all know that the regular police force is under paid and corrupt. We all know that the ruling party has shown complete disinterest in these problems. So, when more money will be spent from the public coffers on sending in the army we negate to address the real reasons why crime and corruption rule this nation. When those in power are corrupt, how can the problem be solved? When the police are under trained and corrupt whaty can be done? We must address the problem from the grass roots. Increase police training, increase the pay incentive and install a lobby group to monitor the situation. Then we might get somewhere. . Chris"); document.write("
Crime is a problem
"); document.write("I agree that crime is out of control in South Africa. Having grown up and still living in a ghetto I see it everyday. The police are understaffed, underpaid and some of them are corrupt. They are seemingly unable to effectively deal with the escalating crime. There is a cliched laundry list of social ills that can be blamed for this. But is bringing in the army to do the job of the police not bringing the powers that be that much closer to creating a military state. And if they are brought in to \"aid\" police what will the limitations of their powers be. Can they arrest criminals or simply detain them? Will they have they powers of both the army and the police? I think that the Scorpions were the best thing ever to happen to this justice system in this country, and to have them disbanded to save the #### of our so-called president. I think that bringing in the army to do the work of the police could create as many problems as it solves. The police needs more effective management, clearer direction.. W"); document.write("
The image?
"); document.write("\"Imagine the effect on the psyche of millions of visitors during the World Cup when they have to walk past assault-rifle carrying soldiers — doesn't send out a pretty image to the rest of the world, does it?\"

I suppose the effect of having that same gun pointed to a tourists head while his wife and daughters are gang raped sends out a better image? The hell with the criminals, they don't care what happens... and they're using bombs on transit vans now? I'm not saying martial law is needed, but a certain level of control and support by the army could go a long way. It's not like they're doing anything right now.. The.D"); document.write("
The army fighting crime - stating the obvious
"); document.write("As always a double edged sword. To bring in the army to fight crime will work, however God forbid an innocent should be injured.as in the past with the police action, the public would again be up in arms but now blaming the army, for there incompetence and irresponsiblity and ofcourse claiming monetary restitution for there loss. \"oportunistic\"?
This ofcourse is in total disregard
for the rights, of the security guards / police etc, who
have paid the ultimate price and lost there lives, leaving there own families, in an atempt to keep the public safe!!
The law will never win, whilst playing by the rules against blatently lawless criminals, with absolutely no regard for human life.
Lets bring in the army . Andrew"); document.write("
So what...
"); document.write("South Africa is a horribly violent country! Why are we trying to hide the fact. Bring in the army we need to protect the innocent civilians from these criminals. So what if u feel uneasy with a soldier carrying an R4! you should feel more if someone is not there with a gun to protect u!. Anon"); document.write("
Bringing in the army
"); document.write("It would seem nobody has read my previous post on this subject,lets get down to it,bringing in the army to assist in crime control,as an instant fix and sounds great,this is NOT the agenda of the big boys,we should beef up the police force in quality and quantity.(as it was before,notice any good crime fighting unit i.e. the Scorpions are disbanded.) Seeing the army
around town and getting used to it(don't forget they should be there to protect us from outside forces)is,in not to long a time span their objective will be to control the populace and play little part in crime control,(they will never leave),crime has been ALLOWED to reach these proportions not only for financial gain but mainly so that you will welcome the army with open arms,as you are now on your last legs re: crime.You are being played as a fiddle to do these things and you have no idea you are even doing them ,sounds like a conspiracy ? you know why? because it IS. Ever stop to think that the vast majority of coups in the world had the army on their side ? Think I am a nut ?,just trying to inform what you are getting yourselves into that is all,take it from here.. Think about it"); document.write("
Bring the Army
"); document.write("I think we need the army to assist the Police as the Police Minister has suggested. We should be careful where we use the army though. As suggested, they should be used in work related to securing boarders, and to escourt cash-in-transit vehicles. I am sure the army is better suited for this kind of work than the Police. If the army were to assist in the above manner, you will be able to free the Police to do what they are trained to do. We will obviosly see more Police visibility. The Police may be able to do more investigations. Coupled with this, the Police should also work closely with private security companies. House break-ins have grown considerably, and the security companies normally have to deal with the criminals on their own. They should be able to depend on the Police for support to track these criminals. . Sandile"); document.write("
army
"); document.write("I think Hadlee lost the coin toss in terms of who gets to decide which side to pick for this debate, nobody living in SA and in their right mind could deny that we need to use very resource to try and get some sort of handle on rampant crime. I'm happy to walk past 100's or 1000's of soldiers carrying rifles than be constantly afraid for that i'll come home one day and find whats left of my my wife and child in pools of blood raped and murdered, because thats the horrifically graphic reality that will awaits people every day. And yes, expect soem backlash from liberalists or those who feel that their civil liberties have been imposed on, still better than the picture i painted, who can disagree with this? who doesn't fear what i fear?. john smith"); document.write("
well trained???
"); document.write("how well trained are the SADF?? a short while ago several members of the force were killed & several others seriously injured when an untrained(or simple minded) sadf woman was going to demonstrate a state of the art new weapon at a parade- she pushed the wrong button-there is no dicipline, hardly any training and a major problem with HIV in the defence force, probably because of boredom- and they must take over the streets?? I think not!! . cheryl"); document.write("
USE ARMY ON BORDER & CASH IN TRANSIT
"); document.write("If we deploy the Army back to the Border it will free up police. Also, make Army available to protect Cash-in-transit and prevent robberies.. nuff ced"); document.write("
Please help us fight crime. Anyboby.
"); document.write(". Wallyumbibo"); document.write("
police/army? ha ha!
"); document.write("Who are these soldiers that are going to be employed?
If the police are useless can the army be any better?

What South Africa needs is a highly trained police force that are paid the best of salaries, the same is needed in education, health, technology, manufacturing and agriculture.

Pay peanuts and expect monkey work!

Wake up politicians, we are not up to world standard!
. FritS"); document.write("
Nothing to lose
"); document.write("Bring in the army for a 12 month trial period and see what the effect is on crime. If things improve keep them on another 12 months but keep it clear that they can be removed at any time without warning if need be. If things don't improve pull them off the streets. What do we have to lose?

Using the army to fight crime certainly sends a strong message to criminals. It may be a way to reduce violent crime leaving the police more time to handle other less violent crimes.

Go for it. If it works great! If not try plan B.. Ryan"); document.write("
Great idea!
"); document.write("This country ought to be in a state of emergency that matches the killing rate! Make it a police state for a while, get the nutters and put them in a designated area, a huge open air-prison, sorta like a homeland where they can take their aggression out on each other rather than us. Anyone see \"Escape from New York\"?. freddie"); document.write("
YES, Finally a police minister who takes his job seriously
"); document.write("We've been saying this for ages, we drive through the military base every week and see nothing - a deserted town. People who have been trained to fight who spend their days watching TV. Their highly corrupt superiors have no accountability and therefore may run amok as they like spending our tax money.
The police force is in a dire situation - there just aren't enough of them, and sometimes it is just an impossible task, to ask those few people to be the defenders of our rights and security. We already have the military personnel available to assist the police force and as a South African citizen I am sick and tired of being afraid to leave my house, whilst our military just \"chill\".
So thanks Mr Nathi Mthethwa, let's just hope it gets past all this bureaucratic nonsense. . Shel"); document.write("
Use the army - but with care
"); document.write("As a whitey, I did my national service training. Part of the training was crowd control, along with carefully-controlled use of force. A part of our army, which is currently just wasting its time, could certainly be trained to assist the police. The gangs assaulting cash-in-transit vans are using military-style tactics and military weapons. Escorting these vans would be a great first step in deploying part of our army, along with border patrolling.. gerald"); document.write("
SEE WHAT EGYPT DOES
"); document.write("Go to Egypt, specifically Cairo and down the Nile, and see how they deal with crime by visible \"policing\" in the form of the Tourism Police/Military in white uniforms. There are always at least two men together and always carrying semi-automatic weapons. And they are everywhere!

Any incident that is detrimental to their tourism industry is dealt with by these guys.

What is 2010 all about?

In the time that I was there I saw one attempted pick-pocketing where the perpetrator was quickly dealt with and not seen again. So encouraging to the tourists involved.

All the tourists I spoke to from various western nations agreed that it was very comforting to have these guys wherever they went and, despite the carrying of semi-automatic weapons, they felt safer in Cairo than many other cities that they had visited.

The SA Govt and various cities in this country could learn a valuable and efficient lesson if they bothered to find out how the Egyptian authorities deal with this whole issue.. JACK"); document.write("
Military Law ????
"); document.write("Dear God this sounds like Apartheid years. Crime is bad, yes, but police are underpaid and overworked leading to corruption.Sort that out and have effective policing Turning SA into a military state is just dire.The causes of crime need to be addressed.Not merely the effects of it.. Mhari"); document.write("
at \"The Image\"
"); document.write("\"Imagine the effect on the psyche of millions of visitors during the World Cup when they have to walk past assault-rifle carrying soldiers\" i actually cannot believe that some twit actually wrote this. Everyday people are dying, woman children are abused and raped.. and you worried about the image of South Africa..a bunch of foreigners who are very aware of our crime statistics.. get ur prioroties right. ps i for one, actually feel safe and non-threatened knowing im being looked after by assault-rifle carrying soldiers! as. Paul"); document.write("
Do not agree with the army
"); document.write("I recently had the unfortunate experience of visiting the Moffat Park police station manned by Booysens cops. One cop in the charge office was illiterate and unable to take a statement, spent half his time on private calls whilst another sat picking his nose and displaying a rather nasty looking weapon which did not have place in a charge office. My concerns with the army is who will they be accountable to, will they be any better with regards to training, corruption and intelligence. Are we not opening the door for military control. The MK has already threatened to make the WC ungovernable because they are soldiers and have an army. Maybe the government should not have been so quick to allow the Nigerian and other drug lords etc into the country. I would not be happy under martial law and the impact it would have. Rather train the police and increase their numbers. Maybe at least to spell and know the law might be a start. L"); document.write("
GOOD IDEA!
"); document.write("Bring in the Army, Ratels, Rocket Launches and shoot just one of these scumbags off the park and you will see a change from the criminals. FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE.. BOERE SEUN"); document.write("
BOO!!!!
"); document.write("Some of your facts area bit off. Colombia had the world's worst myurder epidemic in 2000 and Iraq had over 20,000 civilian deaths in 2007 which is more than larger SA's murder total. SA's murder rate isn't out yet for the 08 financial year and it's gradually decreased since the year 2000 anyway, but let's not let facts get in the way of a good story. South Africans have already made their minds up that crime is increasing all the time, it's very hard to reason with people like that and this article isn't helping.. The Boss"); document.write("
I support the army fighting Crime
"); document.write("- to acompany the cash in transit vehicles
- to guard Police stations, that lately have themselves been robbed!!!!!
- to de detail on train station platforms, taxi ranks, busy parts of ity centers.
- to be stationed along strategic points on major highways and toll roads where they can rapidly clock off escape routes for hi-jackers, bank robbers and others trying to a flee a crime
- to guard court houses and prisoners being transported to and from courts
- to hold road blocks in conjunction with the police in all areas where crime is high and where for the police it has become \" a no go zone \".

If they have a clear shot at a criminal, they must shoot him, even in the back. A dead criminal is one less tax payers head ache, one less ANC vote and one less repeat offender. Show me a downside to all this?. Thinker"); document.write("
Military State, Typical African Country!
"); document.write("Except for one thing, what kind of armament will they be using? Are they gonna be throwing grenades in the CBD or what? I can't wait to be leaving in military state, typical African country. When all else fails, bring in the army. Just increase the number of SAPS & beef up resources, what's ur problem Mr. Mthethwa?. Phizar"); document.write("
Increased training
"); document.write("The very definition and purpose of the army is to protect the country from external threats, this should extend to border protection. But to extend the role of the army into the internal protection of the country is not only a mistake but the beginning of a police state. There should a creation of a specialized unit that deals exclusively with the protection of the Cash Transit vehicle, personnel from the army could be brought in and trained in police procedures, effectively making them a member of the police force while retaining their military training. This specialize unit should be given a different uniform, as in the United States SWAT teams uniform differs from that of the regular police officer. The new uniform would lead to the public perception of the new unit as an extension of the police force and not that of the army. The new unit should under the command chain that exists within the current police, the unit will not be inform of the route and therefore will not be able to plan a heist himself.
Including the army in different aspects of police work is a mistake. There should be a concentration on improving the resources, recruitment, retainment, and training of the of the existing police force.
But all of these solutions that are mention in the article are mere band-aids for a much large moral wounds that exists in South Africa. A focus should be on why it has become acceptable to commit such violent crimes affecting not only the rich but those living in the townships. The moral fiber of South Africa is being torn apart and unless we as a society start teaching our children and the youth what is acceptable behavior and not chanting \"Bring me my machine gun\" by the leaders of our country and having the ANCYL threatening to use militant action if they don't get what they want then can only expect to see an escalation in crime.
If we increase the armament protecting the cash in transit vehicles is this only going to lead to more violent and high armed criminals. Making the money inside useless to them could serve as a deterrent, destroying the money as soon as an attempt is made would make the risk outweigh the benefits of attacking a cash in transit vehicle. A single button that destroys all the money inside before they get to it. Have this happen a few times and the lure of easy money disappears.
The army should only be used as a last resort and even then it should be used very wisely. . Darryn "); document.write("
No use
"); document.write("What difference is the army going to make?The same stuff will happen over and over again. We need police that is not corrupt, more organised, better trained and reliable.They can do much better if they just wanted to.. "); document.write("
The fight against crime
"); document.write("What kind of arms are the soldiers going to be carrying? Any law enforcer must considder their background when firing at suspects whilst the criminals don't have to.

Tighten up the laws, train the police up to higher standards, improve their salaries and equipment and give heavy sentences for violent crimes. Ensure no bail is given to violent offenders, when sentencing a suspect to life they must serve until they die in jail. Life in jail when serving a life sentence should be basic (no degrees, no t.v, radio, newspapers, books, etc.) When sentencing a suspect found guilty of a violent crime there should be no extenuating circumstances. Alwyn"); document.write("
"); document.write("I agree with Lindiwe... Crime has reached a point where it breeds fear and unease among SA citizens. I think crime is more of a priority than worrying about what tourists think of army men with rifles during the world cup!! . Danielle"); document.write("
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