A critical assessment of the future police concept in development of the South African Police Service

In a nutshell

Development of modern technology methods to prevent crime and improve the police is fundamental, but officer safety is the primary aim of crime prevention and thus follows the protect and service part of policing. Bringing an African perspective could enrich international discussions on and insights into policing within the community and studies have suggested that we can regard some research findings uncomfortable or unwanted within the police.

What we do

• The police, one of the most identifiable organisations in the world and they are the obvious representatives of our government. If not functioning to standards, change is unavoidable.
• The protection and security in the South African Police Service entails not only the protection of civil society but protecting their own.
• There has been an increase in an attack on police stations and yet in government departments it requires the active engagement of executive management to assess emerging threats and initialise strong security risk control measures.
• This requires commitment or support from senior management and adequate resources, and not only supplying visible deterrents like a camera monitoring system.
• There has been a failure to discuss the identified vulnerabilities by government departments that give an opportunity for criminals seeking firearms.

How we do it

Making the police service better through research. 

What we have achieved

• The South African Police Service (SAPS) objectives are, by section 205 of the Constitution, to prevent, combat and investigate crime; keep public order; protect and secure the inhabitants of South Africa and their property; uphold and enforce the law.
• The National Development Plan predicted a vision, where in the year 2030 people living in South Africa should be safe and without fear of crime and adhering also to the environmental plans in the use of Electrical Vehicles in the service delivery development plan (Chapter 8).
• Implementing direct measures to restore the community’s trust in the police by the use of body cameras in crime prevention strategy and prevention of civil claims against the police (Chapter 6); and make sure that the police officer is operationally ready[1]. That must include the next-generation safety gear examined in Proactive Equipment (Chapter 5) and Police Vehicle emergency Equipment (Chapter 7) The requires that they be equipped with the tools they need and mentally prepared to deal with the demands of policing.
• [1] Operationally Ready - Incorporates both equipment readiness and personnel readiness.

What we have learned

Ongoing - Research locked until completion