In what could easily be mistaken for a scene straight out of a slapstick police comedy, two Cape Town constables found themselves in hot water and the Simons Town Magistrate’s court, on Wednesday.
Was it worth it? – Cape Town constables in hot water for lending taxi boss police vehicle
Their crime? Allegedly turning a state police vehicle into a ‘friend’s ride’. This unusual case of ‘serve, protect, and lend’ has left many shaking their heads in disbelief and chuckling at the absurdity.
The constables, aged 31 and 25 from Nyanga police station, have been accused of allowing a member of the public, reportedly a taxi boss, to take a joyride in a police vehicle.
This not-so-stealthy escapade was caught on camera and shared on social media, turning the officers into unwitting social media sensations earlier this year.
The incident, which occurred in the Ocean View area, has since sparked an investigation leading to their arrests under sections 56 and 59 of the Police Act.
Lt Gen Thembisile Patekile, the Western Cape Provincial Commissioner, apparently unamused by this real-life rendition of ‘Ride Along’, has vowed to cleanse the police service of officers who confuse the badge for a ticket to lawlessness.
The constables are now facing the music, both in court and through an internal disciplinary investigation.
This bizarre incident raises the question: Can members of the public drive police vehicles? In a word, no.
Police vehicles, like the officers themselves, are meant to uphold the law, not to be lent out like library books.
The SAPS vehicles are reserved strictly for official use by authorised personnel. So, unless you’ve sworn an oath and donned the uniform, it’s best to stick to requesting a ride in a police car, not requesting to take the wheel.
