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[FILE IMAGE]: Police at a parade
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) in KwaZulu-Natal has called for increased resources to strengthen the protection of workers in the security cluster, particularly crime intelligence officers.
The union says they are on the frontlines in the fight against organised crime.
The call comes after two crime intelligence officers were ambushed by armed suspects on Thursday in Mount Edgecombe, north of Durban, during an undercover operation.
One officer was killed, while another was wounded.
POPCRU Provincial Secretary Nthabeleng Molefe says, “Our members do not only face long hours, resource constraints and immense psychological pressure, they are now increasingly becoming direct targets of heavily armed criminal syndicates.”
“POPCRU has consistently warned about the deteriorating safety conditions under which our members operate. Crime Intelligence officers, in particular, are at the forefront of confronting organised crime networks, and yet often do so with inadequate protection.” – Reporting by Samke Mtshali
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