Juanita Du Preez is exactly right (“Design a police system that does not depend on politicians’ honesty”, July 14). Trying to bet on a good leader to run a system that encourages centralised corruption is foolish. We need to decentralise the police force to prevent the overflow of corruption and rot.
On top of decentralised police forces, accountable to local areas, we also need to reinstate the independence of our detectives. Before the ANC’s fatal reforms in the 1990s, detectives worked under their own hierarchy and with increased autonomy. This allowed them to be dynamic, creative and escape the potential corruption affecting the rest of the police force.
So, on top of decentralising police — give detectives the independence and resources to investigate crimes and provide much-needed intelligence to solve the scourge of criminality.
Nicholas Woode-Smith
Cape Town
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