The question posed to Councillor Izak Berg by an EMPD employee motivated him to ask the Members of the Mayoral Committee a list of questions about criminal convictions in the EMPD.
The information revealed a disturbing reality. Of the 2 507 officials employed by the EMPD, 115 officials have criminal records, 58 officials have been charged with an offence and 14 have been found guilty.
A list of criminal offences ranging from possession of a weapon without a licence to murder was released. Ironically the most common offences were driving related. Driving under the influence and reckless and negligent driving made up 25 per cent of criminal record convictions, followed by assaults which comprised 20 per cent of the charges listed. Perhaps the most disturbing violent convictions among the listed offences were of rape and murder.
The dates of the offences and appointment dates of the officials were not included in the information provided by the MMC of Community Safety. The importance of this information is critical, because if the officials were appointed after their convictions, it calls into question the screening procedures of the Metro Police.
If the officials were appointed before they committed these crimes, the question is whether they were properly investigated and disciplined.
Perhaps the most important question raised by this information is: if the members of our police force have been convicted of criminal conduct; who can we trust?
