Think twice before you criticise cops

THE murder of a police officer during a holding cell inspection at eSikhaleni, as reported in our newspaper last week, was a heart-breaking incident.

It was more than a mere attack on an individual, denying him the sacred right to life and all the joys associated with human existence.

It was also an assault on his family, robbing them of a husband, father, brother and son.

The attack also impacted on his friends and colleagues, who spoke highly of Warrant Officer Johannes Ngwane and his dedication to duty and bubbly personality.

His death hit hard in his community, where he was seen as an upstanding citizen always prepared to assist others.

And it was, in fact, an attack against the entire system of law and order, and the values enshrined in our constitution – such as the right to safety and security.

Two further thoughts present themselves.

The first – one we often forget – is that police (and their families) are just as vulnerable to crime as any other member of society, perhaps even more so as they often become targets.

The second is the issue of police morale.

The death of a colleague is tremendously disheartening.

Equally distressing to the men and women in blue is the continual verbal attacks and criticisms they get via social media.

Whether it is Whatsapp or Facebook, many subscribers have no compunction about running down the police force in its entirety.

Yes, there are ‘crooked cops’ and we’ve all seen video clips of police sleeping behind their desks.

But these are far, far in the minority.

The reality is that most uniformed members and detectives work long, tiring days.

They are overloaded with cases, are poorly paid, spend hours tracking suspects and giving evidence in court, and operate in a dangerous underworld few but their own would fully understand.

They are prepared to risk their lives to keep us safe.

Warrant Officer Ngwane reminds us of that.

Think twice before you criticise.