Paarl police in storm over 'fake statistics'
2009-06-25
A CLOUD of controversy has descended upon Paarl Police Station, pending an investigation into the alleged tampering with crime statistics over the past two years. Community Safety MEC ADV Lennit Max (DA) this week announced that more than 50 rape cases, involving children as young as four, were never investigated or even written up by police officers. Other police stations which will also be investigated for crime statistic tampering, are Paarl East, Wellington and Mbekweni. The alleged manipulation has taken place since January 2007 up until May this year. During this period of time, Director Mzwandile Tiyo, now provincial police chief of crime intelligence, was at various times Paarl Police Station Commander, as well as cluster chief. This cluster consists of Paarl, Wellington, Paarl East, Mbekweni, Malmesbury, Riebeek West and Philadelphia police stations. Under Tiyo’s supervision, Paarl Police Station was awarded second place at last year’s South African Police Services Western Cape Prestige Awards, and Tiyo was Station Commander of the Year for the second successive year. According to Max, the manipulation of statistics took place, because the stations did not want their crime figures to look bad. Thus far, information has been gathered from senior police official that at least 56 rape cases which had been reported at Paarl police station and surrounds, were only recorded as injuries. Other crimes such as burglaries and fraud were also classified as less serious crimes, and in doing so, do not reflect on annual crime statistics. Ever since rumours arose of a pending investigation, police officers have scurried to re-register these crimes. But Director Tiyo’s life-long friend (also from Mbekweni), provincial police commissioner Mzwandile Petros, has denied any irregularities in the crime statistics of these stations. Max has asked the Independent Complaints Directorate to launch a full investigation into this debacle. It is rumoured that the alleged statistics tampering will be discussed at national cabinet level, and that senior heads may roll.
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