.png)
100 signatures reached
To: Captain Van Emmerik, Captain of SAPS Booysens Police Station, Department of Police
We demand SAPS Booysens Police Station have more trained police officers
We want Captain Van Emmerik to have more trained police officers in his station. Furthermore, the officers should receive specialised training and be well-equipped when they receive GBV cases. Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said, that often police officers lacked training and that reaction to GBV victims played a big role in facilitating and sometimes reaching dockets or the courthouse [1].
The prevalence of GBV in South Africa is such that close to 10,000 rapes occur every quarter [2]. Let us help GBV survivors by advocating that Booysens police station has more trained officers. EQ (Emotional Intelligence) goes a very long way. EQ is the ability to use your emotions positively to relieve stress, communicate effectively, and empathise with others [3]. A lot of women fear reporting GBV incidents to the police because they might face victimisation. How we speak/react to one another plays a vital role. If police officers were more empathetic and willing to listen without instant judgment, we would have a lot of women reporting GBV cases.
Thando (alias name) was assaulted by her abusive partner. Thando states that she was treated badly by a female police officer and she left without opening a case, while she was bleeding. Thando says, "I asked for a female cop, and I was told I provoked my boyfriend by going through his phone and that I deserved the beating” [4]. Put yourself in Thando’s shoes, how would you feel if you were in her situation? She must have felt very scared and vulnerable. We do not want any woman to feel like this. Thando might have still been in danger and she was forced to seek help elsewhere due to poor treatment. As women, let’s strive to protect one another. We need police officers that are empathetic and we feel safe around.
Here are some reviews left by people who tried seeking help at SAPS Booysens Police Station:
• They are the worst next to Langlaagte Police Station- their phone just rings and rings. When they come out to a call, they don't provide a number that you can reach them on. I could be assaulted and there would be no police to reach out to. - Tamaryn McPherson
• Terrible service: "Out of only three counters to open a case one operating. No system/queue. The police were laid back and unhelpful when I was there. After waiting an hour on two consecutive nights, I walked out twice. People in serious need such as GBV survivors should be one of the top priorities." – Abu Tulaiha
• Worst service ever: "I had two police say they couldn’t help me. When I finally got help, they had a 20+ minute conversation. Disappointing service. Afterwards, I had to go to another police station just for a case number. This is precious time that they could utilise to file my restraining order from my abusive partner." – Christopher Simpson [5]
There are a lot of unhappy people when it comes to the general service at Booysens Station. If police officers are not able to excel in ordinary police services, then how many more GBV cases need a specialised police officer? Food for thought. Training police officers on how to handle GBV cases will be a game-changer for us as a country. The aim is to help GBV survivors through this traumatic time and make them feel safe.
Booysens Police Station has a 2,6-star rating. This is too low. A lot of work still needs to be done. The captain of this station needs to have regular staff meetings and encourage his team to be positive. Adding on, they must cater to people when they are on duty. Imagine you are being assaulted in your household and when you try to call the police, no one picks up. This is an issue that can be fixed and resolved within the police station. If the police landline is not working as stated by most people, they must give an alternative number the public can call. This number should be updated on their website. People could be incurring life-threatening situations and they are seeking help. Let’s do our level best to help them.
The prevalence of GBV in South Africa is such that close to 10,000 rapes occur every quarter [2]. Let us help GBV survivors by advocating that Booysens police station has more trained officers. EQ (Emotional Intelligence) goes a very long way. EQ is the ability to use your emotions positively to relieve stress, communicate effectively, and empathise with others [3]. A lot of women fear reporting GBV incidents to the police because they might face victimisation. How we speak/react to one another plays a vital role. If police officers were more empathetic and willing to listen without instant judgment, we would have a lot of women reporting GBV cases.
Thando (alias name) was assaulted by her abusive partner. Thando states that she was treated badly by a female police officer and she left without opening a case, while she was bleeding. Thando says, "I asked for a female cop, and I was told I provoked my boyfriend by going through his phone and that I deserved the beating” [4]. Put yourself in Thando’s shoes, how would you feel if you were in her situation? She must have felt very scared and vulnerable. We do not want any woman to feel like this. Thando might have still been in danger and she was forced to seek help elsewhere due to poor treatment. As women, let’s strive to protect one another. We need police officers that are empathetic and we feel safe around.
Here are some reviews left by people who tried seeking help at SAPS Booysens Police Station:
• They are the worst next to Langlaagte Police Station- their phone just rings and rings. When they come out to a call, they don't provide a number that you can reach them on. I could be assaulted and there would be no police to reach out to. - Tamaryn McPherson
• Terrible service: "Out of only three counters to open a case one operating. No system/queue. The police were laid back and unhelpful when I was there. After waiting an hour on two consecutive nights, I walked out twice. People in serious need such as GBV survivors should be one of the top priorities." – Abu Tulaiha
• Worst service ever: "I had two police say they couldn’t help me. When I finally got help, they had a 20+ minute conversation. Disappointing service. Afterwards, I had to go to another police station just for a case number. This is precious time that they could utilise to file my restraining order from my abusive partner." – Christopher Simpson [5]
There are a lot of unhappy people when it comes to the general service at Booysens Station. If police officers are not able to excel in ordinary police services, then how many more GBV cases need a specialised police officer? Food for thought. Training police officers on how to handle GBV cases will be a game-changer for us as a country. The aim is to help GBV survivors through this traumatic time and make them feel safe.
Booysens Police Station has a 2,6-star rating. This is too low. A lot of work still needs to be done. The captain of this station needs to have regular staff meetings and encourage his team to be positive. Adding on, they must cater to people when they are on duty. Imagine you are being assaulted in your household and when you try to call the police, no one picks up. This is an issue that can be fixed and resolved within the police station. If the police landline is not working as stated by most people, they must give an alternative number the public can call. This number should be updated on their website. People could be incurring life-threatening situations and they are seeking help. Let’s do our level best to help them.
Why is this important?
The rate of GBV continues to grow year by year. We need to decrease this. Officers must show human rights and dignity towards their victims. Everyone has rights no matter their gender. Women should feel safe when they report at police stations. As women, we feel more comfortable talking to other women about sensitive matters such as GBV. It would be beneficial to the community to have more skilled police officers who are trained when it comes to this specific topic.
We strive to have more people reporting any assaults without any fear in mind. GBV is very traumatising and affects many people. Thus, all the necessary steps must be taken when someone comes in to report such crimes. Nhlanhla Lux from Soweto Parliament states that those who find the courage to open cases are not even given the comfort and privacy to do so. [6] I suggest that they could have a room in the police station, where they can talk privately with the survivor.
We should act now to get the police officers the adequate training they need so that they add further value to our communities. The sooner they get their training; the sooner they can help the women in our community. We want to live in a community that is safe and does not victimise women for what happens to them. The training would also be beneficial to the officers as they can implement and practice this in their personal lives as well. Some police officers are role models for our children. We want them to be good role models with good values because we also look up to them and we appreciate the work they do. It is a good thing that there is some training being done in other police stations and it would be even better, once the majority of the police force receive these important skills.
With your help, we can make this issue impactful. We will be one step closer to receiving the right treatment needed to help the women in our community. Say no to GBV violence and in saying no to this, let us correctly help, everyone affected by it. It starts with you and me.
Here are the SA Police Service's social media handles:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SAPoliceService
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAPoliceService
Instagram: https://instagram.com/sapoliceservice_za/
[1] Renewed focus on training for police in assisting victims of the scourge of gender-based violence welcomed. Genevieve Serra, IOL.09 April 2022.
[2] Gender-Based Violence in South Africa. The University of Reading. 11 November 2022
[3] Improving Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Jeanne Segal, PhD, Melinda Smith, M.A., Lawrence Robinson and Jenifer Shubin. HelpGuide.org. 28 February 2023
[4] Many women fear victimisation when they consider reporting GBV cases to police: Activists. Pearl Magubane. SABC News. 24 August 2021.
[5] Google Reviews for SAPS Booyseens Police Station. 2022
[6] Many women fear victimisation when they consider reporting GBV cases to police: Activists. Pearl Magubane. SABC News. 24 August 2021.
We strive to have more people reporting any assaults without any fear in mind. GBV is very traumatising and affects many people. Thus, all the necessary steps must be taken when someone comes in to report such crimes. Nhlanhla Lux from Soweto Parliament states that those who find the courage to open cases are not even given the comfort and privacy to do so. [6] I suggest that they could have a room in the police station, where they can talk privately with the survivor.
We should act now to get the police officers the adequate training they need so that they add further value to our communities. The sooner they get their training; the sooner they can help the women in our community. We want to live in a community that is safe and does not victimise women for what happens to them. The training would also be beneficial to the officers as they can implement and practice this in their personal lives as well. Some police officers are role models for our children. We want them to be good role models with good values because we also look up to them and we appreciate the work they do. It is a good thing that there is some training being done in other police stations and it would be even better, once the majority of the police force receive these important skills.
With your help, we can make this issue impactful. We will be one step closer to receiving the right treatment needed to help the women in our community. Say no to GBV violence and in saying no to this, let us correctly help, everyone affected by it. It starts with you and me.
Here are the SA Police Service's social media handles:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SAPoliceService
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAPoliceService
Instagram: https://instagram.com/sapoliceservice_za/
[1] Renewed focus on training for police in assisting victims of the scourge of gender-based violence welcomed. Genevieve Serra, IOL.09 April 2022.
[2] Gender-Based Violence in South Africa. The University of Reading. 11 November 2022
[3] Improving Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Jeanne Segal, PhD, Melinda Smith, M.A., Lawrence Robinson and Jenifer Shubin. HelpGuide.org. 28 February 2023
[4] Many women fear victimisation when they consider reporting GBV cases to police: Activists. Pearl Magubane. SABC News. 24 August 2021.
[5] Google Reviews for SAPS Booyseens Police Station. 2022
[6] Many women fear victimisation when they consider reporting GBV cases to police: Activists. Pearl Magubane. SABC News. 24 August 2021.
How it will be delivered
We shall use this hashtag- #BooysensPoliceStation. Make sure to use this hashtag on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. We must tag Captain Van Emmerik as well as the SAPS Police Service. Tell them that the Booysens Police Station needs more equipped police who are trained on how to handle GBV cases. Adding on, make sure to leave reviews on Google stating this very same thing.