Serve And Protect

Serve and Protect
Monday, March 30th, 2020

Dear Mr President
Dear SAPS Members Whom This Cap Fits

Henri Charriere of ‘Papillion’ fame, (old movie starring Steve McQueen), tells an interesting story in his book. He and his staff, at a nightclub he ran on a West Indian island, had some trouble with American soldiers. A squad of American MPs came rushing in, obviously intent on beating the living daylights out of the Frenchmen. A solitary West Indian policeman barred the doorway and uttered three words that stopped them dead in their tracks:

‘His Majesty’s police.’

Now that, i thought, is a police officer. We have seen video footage of you frogmarching citizens on the streets and issuing orders that are patently ridiculous (’Go into your house and close the door’, for example). One would think you just might have real work to do during this crisis. You may have come across the phrase ’serve and protect’. Vaguely familiar? The enthusiasm you display would have been commendable, put to use in dealing with the hardened criminals who run riot in our country.

The law is a causeway upon which, so long as he keeps to it, a citizen may walk safely.” So says Sir Thomas Moore in ‘A Man For All Seasons’. But then, what did he know?

In case you haven’t noticed, this is the age of the all-seeing android. Little Brother is watching you. You don’t want those fifteen minutes of fame. We’ve seen the police in India wield their canes with the sort of skill and adroitness to make our old teachers green with envy. Thank goodness you haven’t been issued with sjamboks. Or..?

Unfortunately, the story of the West Indian policeman has lodged in my memory. I know we do things differently in South Africa and that’s why we are so successful. After all, who cares about civil rights, dignity and that other stuff, when we can all indulge and have some lockdown fun? Right?

I am absolutely certain that there are many officers doing sterling work, risking their own safety and even lives to faithfully keep the oath they made. You shouldn’t embarrass them.

Yours in the struggle to preserve the tradition of professional policing.

Richard

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