Disciplinary action against police officer caught napping in marked vehicle

A video made by MP Nicholas Gotsell, DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice, who questioned a police officer about his sleeping inside a marked SAPS vehicle with its blue lights flashing, armed and parked at a bus stop while his colleague was shopping at Woolworths, has gone viral on social media. Saps confirmed that the officer’s discipline is under investigation.

Gotsell told the Cape Argus that the video was intended to highlight the serious lack of discipline within the police, despite receiving backlash on his social media exposure for it and photographed the officer being asleep.

Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk confirmed they were made aware of the video and that the officer was facing disciplinary steps.

“This office can confirm that a report was received of a member sleeping on duty. A disciplinary investigation has been opened against the member involved and will be investigated further,” Van Wyk said. “This is an internal process and is regarded as a matter between the employer and employee.”

The post on Gotsell’s Facebook has received 5.4k likes, over 2k comments, and 2 shares, with many supporting him and others against his decision to take it to social media, citing that the officers had a right to purchase coffee. Gotsell asks: “What emergency is this?” The officer answers, “We are busy with visible policing.” Gotsell asks: “What visible policing are you doing when she is buying a coffee?”

The officer answers, “That is her problem.”

Gotsell said: “And you on medication, you just showed me, why are you driving? Go find a parking,. I have informed Brigadier Van Niekerk.”

To which the officer responds, “Yes, sir.”

Gotsell said his intention was to highlight the lack of accountability and discipline within the police department.

“The facts are this took place in Green Point, which is not in Cape Town Central’s jurisdiction, so they are out of their jurisdiction,” he detailed. “When I initially approached the officer, he was asleep, and I then asked why he is parking where he is parking, and by then he had been parking there for quite a while while his colleague was in Woolworths.

"Despite having his commander on the phone, he continued to argue that he had a right to park there at the bus stop on the road. I put this on social media yesterday because not much happens in situations like this.

"We know that there is an urgent need to update the SAPS disciplinary code, and if we look at what is going on nationally, how people in senior positions are breaking the law. This constable felt he was right to block traffic, take a nap, armed in a flashing blue light vehicle. What is really good to see is that many people are messaging me, asking if I can help, and our jobs are oversight.”

Gotsell said he had received a lot of negative and positive feedback, but that it did not deter him. One response said: “Hayboo, are they not human enough to buy coffee? What do you know about visible policing?” Another said: “So if he’s on medication, he cannot drive? What seems to be an issue here? Buying coffee? Being on medication? Driving? Parking in a bus stop? Or the fact that you know someone in SAPS?”

Jacques Weber, Director of the WatchTower Group, founder of the Atlantic Seaboard Response Group, and part of the Community Improvement District (CID), also shared his views and concerns via the post: “I think many of the people commenting have zero understanding of what it means to serve in the police.

"Yes, officers are human. They get tired. They need coffee. That's not the issue and shouldn’t be. The issue is discipline and operational readiness. Resting/sleeping in a state vehicle on a public road is unacceptable.

"That’s exactly how members get targeted, killed, and worse, how firearms get stolen and end up in the wrong hands.

Police Oversight and Community safety MEC Anroux Marais said sleeping on duty by a police officer is unacceptable. " Sleeping on duty by a police officer is unacceptable and considered as misconduct in the South African Police Service. This incident will be investigated and dealt with in terms of the SAPS` internal disciplinary procedures." 

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