Police explain why private security can’t make traffic stops
Honeydew, Roodepoort, South Africa May 9 2018
Honeydew Police Spokesperson Captain Balan Muthan explains why security companies aren’t allowed to pull over vehicles.
Honeydew police spokesperson Captain Balan Muthan has detailed why officers in a security vehicle with flashing lights are not allowed to pull over a suspicious-looking vehicle as this causes unnecessary panic to motorists and may lead to mistaken identity.
Muthan made it clear that security companies are not allowed to pull over a vehicle even if it has been positively identified by a complainant. “Security companies are only allowed to follow a car, but cannot stop it until they receive assistance from the police. This also applies to shopping centre security; they also cannot arrest or search a suspect because they do not have powers of arrest. Instead they can detain a suspect and wait for the police to officially arrest the wrongdoer,” he explained.
Muthan clarified the issue following a Sector 2 Honeydew Community Policing Forum meeting where a question about the authority of individuals or security companies to perform a citizen’s arrest was raised.
His statement was backed by BCI Security media liaison officer Gary Jordaan who agreed that no security company officers are allowed to pull over a car. “That’s not our mandate. By law, we aren’t allowed to pull someone over, only law enforcement (the police and JMPD) can.
We follow the vehicle and inform our crime groups that we are in pursuit of the vehicle until we get support from law enforcement,” he explained.
Gary said that scenarios differ. Some of the suspects abandon their vehicles and escape on foot, and others ignore red traffic lights. “We can’t ignore a red traffic light and can’t go over the speed limit as we don’t want to put the lives of other motorists in danger just because of criminals,” he said.
He also explained that general security reaction vehicles have white lights fitted to them. They do not have sirens, unless they are registered as rescue vehicles in the fleet.
