​It is widely acknowledged that the solicitation and illegal payment of bribes to Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers has a negative impact on the City’s reputation and that of its police service. The JMPD’s Internal Affairs Directorate is determined to strengthen mechanisms through which members of the public can report cases of unethical behaviour within the municipal police service.

To effectively implement this mandate, however, the directorate required empirical evidence to understand the public perception of corruption within the JMPD. A digital Snap-Poll was chosen as the best apparatus to request public opinion on account of the fact that it helps provide immediate responses and is a cheaper alternative to other forms of advertising the poll.
Previously, perceptions of corruption within the JMPD were either inconsistent with evidence-based reporting or unsatisfactory from a scientific standpoint in terms of assisting the City in understanding the full scope of the situation.

Of the study population, an initial cohort of about 2 854 people viewed the snap-poll, either through a link on CoJ Messages, or the City’s Twitter and Facebook pages. Of the approximate total of page views, 64, 89%, circa 1 852 people completed the poll. About two direct questions were available on the digital form: Are JMPD Officers easy to bribe, therefore corrupt? and Do you know the mechanisms of reporting unethical behaviour within the JMPD?

• The first Question received about 1 848 submissions, with 1 563 (84, 58%) indicating YES and a minority, about 285 (15,42%) answering NO.

• When respondents tackled Question 2, which received 1 850 submissions in overall, about 413 (22, 32%) participated actively in answering YES and the majority of 1 437 (77, 68%) commented NO.

All of the recent events involving the municipal police service have piqued the public’s interest in how the City deals with corruption within the JMPD and what recourse exists for members of the public who have legitimate concerns against the JMPD.

A large number of people, as evidenced by the poll findings, regard the JMPD with disdain due to negative experiences they have endured under the City’s police service. However, the public must accept responsibility for allegedly paying bribes to JMPD officers in a bid to evade the enforcement of the law.

Click here to read the full report. 

Written by Brümilda Swartbooi
10/12/2021