Good reviews for Motherwell court and SAPS, with a few kinks to iron out

The last batch of crime statistics rated Motherwell police station in the top 10 precincts for murder nationally, making it easy to assume it was home to a police station in shambles.

However, when DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach visited the station and the neighbouring magistrate’s court on Monday, 29 June, she rated it among some of the better state-run facilities she’s visited in a long time.

Despite identifying a handful of challenges hampering effective service delivery to the surrounding community, Breytenbach and a delegation of her party’s local and national leadership were pleasantly surprised by what they found.

“Apart from a few issues, this precinct is exceptionally well off and a good example of how every other police station and court building should look,” Breytenbach said.

Breytenbach, a respected former state prosecutor herself, said she was happy to see the courts running smoothly and prosecutors who were clued up about their cases and court processes.

“I am seriously concerned about security at this court, though. Times have changed and the safety of prosecutors, magistrates and police officials is a growing concern. But security here is very poor.”

She noted full-body metal detectors and X-ray machines, used to scan suitcases and bags coming into the building, had not been operational since 2015. Meanwhile, security officials wielding handheld metal detectors paid little attention to their devices’ beeps as they swept them over visitors.

“I don’t think it would be very difficult to bring a gun or weapon into this court,” Breytenbach said.

At the far end of the main passage of the building, the locking mechanism on the emergency exit was faulty, preventing the door from locking properly. To remedy this, security officials had used a set of handcuffs to fasten the double doors together. The only key is with a security guard at the front door, at the other end of the building.

“God forbid there is an emergency that requires the doors to be opened quickly and the key is on the other side of the courthouse. This is a concern that will need to be addressed urgently.”

Breytenbach said that while the maintenance of fixtures, such as the faulty door, was the responsibility of the court manager, the issues surrounding the security measures and access control to enter the building would need to be urgently addressed by the Department of Justice.

“The conditions show scant regard for the safety of court officials or members of the public attending court proceedings. Should someone be able to bring in a weapon and start shooting, many lives could be at risk.”

She said not all courts were as lucky as Motherwell to have a police station right next door, leaving them with even fewer security measures and placing officials at greater risk.

Breytenbach was also accompanied by DA national spokesperson on police, Lisa Schickerling, who also expressed her satisfaction with the state of the police facilities.

“I was very pleasantly surprised. The Community Service Centre is the heartbeat of the police station, and when we entered we found enough members, dressed neatly, and they were very professional and helpful. This is something that is lacking in many police stations across the country.”

She said the members she spoke with seemed passionate and proud to work at Motherwell, and she rated the station among the top 10 she had recently visited across SA.

The biggest concern that management at the station raised with Schickerling was a shortage of vehicles.

Of the 40 vehicles allocated to the station, they only had 33 on their books, and of those only 21 were actually available for use. Some of the vehicles were stuck in garages waiting for repairs, or to be serviced. Others were in such poor condition that they needed to be boarded (taken off the streets).

Schickerling was happy to hear that the station had an adequate supply of special testing kits, like drunk driving kits and rape testing kits, which were often in short supply at other precincts.

However, she said it was concerning that drunk driving tests have been piling up since the beginning of June. It was explained that these tests are sent away for testing once a month, but Schickerling said more frequent delivery was needed to expedite court proceedings.

Breytenbach supported Schickerling’s sentiment, adding that the testing process could also take time to complete, which further drew out court proceedings. This in turn prejudiced the accused before court and led to backlogs and congestion on the court roll. DM