Vrot cop shop
COMPLAINTS: Thomas Boydell Building on corner of Parade and Barrack Street, Cape Town COMPLAINTS: Thomas Boydell Building on corner of Parade and Barrack Street, Cape Town
The officials in one of the most important divisions in SAPS tells the Daily Voice they are being “treated like animals”.
The cops say their office, situated on the corner of Parade and Barrack Street in the Thomas Boydell Building, is often subjected to wind, rain and damp.
On the outside, the provincial head office building looks beautiful, but the officers say it’s vrot on the inside.
“Inside it’s a run-down place that has broken toilets, broken windows, broken floors, broken light fixtures and no hot water, an urn or even kettle to make coffee,” one cop says.
DISREPAIR: Fridge on counter
The Daily Voice was provided with photos of the dilapidated conditions.
The criminal records centre is where fingerprints are kept on record and analysed.
“More often than not, it is our work that gets criminals behind bars,” the officers say.
They fear court cases may be affected if their offices continue to be neglected.
“The records we have have to be kept clean and dry, but there is constantly wind, it rains in, and the place is damp from the leaking toilets. This can damage our records,” one concerned cop says.
There is also a broken fridge in the kitchen standing on the counter, while floor tiles removed some time ago were left in a heap in a corner.
The 80 staff members only have two cleaning ladies between them.
“This has been going on for two years now. They ignore us and continue to say we are being unnecessary, but it does not take rocket science to see the dirty, terrible place. We are not animals,” said the disgruntled officer.
Another officer said he was worried about catching germs.
“Those bathrooms are so filthy and broken, I do not want to use them. I am too afraid to pick up something. The cleaning ladies can’t clean away the broken toilets and the filthy liquid all over the floor,” he says.
“The work we do is very important. This records department cannot afford contamination but we are unable to wash our hands after going to bathroom.
SIES: Water flows from urinal
“And we can’t even see where we are going because the lights are broken. I just want a clean place to work.”
Provincial police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Andrè Traut told Daily Voice they could not comment: “Kindly be advised that your enquiry has been elevated to our National Media Centre for their discretion.”
Voice then contacted national police spokesman Vish Naidoo, who did not reply by Thursday night.