It is extremely concerning to note that the Independent Complaints Directorate's (ICD) 2008/09 report reveals a 15% rise in deaths in police custody, and a 5% increase in complaints against police officers.

Of equal concern are the deaths by shooting of 12 innocent bystanders, and the deaths of 29 due to negligent handling of a firearm. These figures, coupled with the 31% rise in the Police's civil legal claims that was revealed in the SAPS annual report earlier in the week, show just how serious the situation has become with respect to holding errant police officers to account.

In particular, the need to further empower the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) has become crystal clear. The DA currently has pending legislative proposals for empowering the ICD before Parliament that would achieve precisely this. While we agree that police officers must not be impeded from performing their duties by endless red tape, it is essential that those officers that have committed offences are held to account for their behaviour, and further empowering the ICD is certainly the most sensible way of achieving this.

We will also continue to advocate an expansion of the ICD's budget. The ICD's report reveals that just 55% of reported cases were completed by the ICD - clearly longstanding capacity problems remain unresolved, and we believe that the Independent Complaints Directorate must have the ability to investigate all cases it is presented in a given financial year.

Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard, MP Democratic Alliance shadow minister of police, September 26 2009

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