Department of Police budget and Strategic Plan 2010/2014
Meeting Summary
The Department of Police in its briefing on its budget vote and strategic plan for 2010/14 focused firstly on its key five programmes: administration, visible policing, detective service, crime intelligence, and protection and security services. Its spending priorities would include expanding personnel capacity in specific areas like investigative capacity; skills development; intensifying technology such as the Integrated Justice System modernisation and network upgrade; improving physical infrastructure; engaging with communities in support of policing; and 2010 World Cup security. More energy would be spent on intensifying the fight against crime.
Its medium term strategic framework would address improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System by enhancing detective and forensic environment, and establishing a border management agency to manage migration, customs and land borderline control services and to coordinate other relevant departments at the ports of entry efficiently. The Department introduced its new division, the Police Civilian Secretariat. This operated directly under the direction and authority of the Minister. The Secretariat was mandated to conduct research into any policing matter in accordance with the instructions of the Minister, and monitor and evaluate the functioning of the Service and report to the Minister.
Questions and comments from Members centred on crime in schools and within the police; capacitating crime intelligence; the re-instatement of the single police unit; missing dockets; special clothes for police working in extremely cold conditions; and whether the Secretariat would become a separate department. Members also sought assurance on police morale in the face of the service delivery protests. The Department replied that morale was still good and police were adequately equipped. A Member said that the Department should stop changing policies and start implementing them.
Meeting report
Department of Police presentation
Major-General George Moorcroft, Assistant Commissioner, and Head, Strategic Management, South African Police Service (SAPS), said the budget of the Department had experienced nominal growth since 2008/09 of 8.3% annually. Strong growth reflected capacity for employment of personnel, building capital infrastructure, and modernising technology.
The Department had identified training focus areas: basic training (entry level training); management and leadership; crime prevention; tactical skills; investigation; intelligence; and generic skills.
The Department had developed a strategy for system integration and better coordination amongst departments. The focus would be on business architectural design emphasizing integration and exchange of information between departments; information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure; integrated case management objectives; and business intelligence.
The Department would focus on its Strategic Priority 6: to intensify the fight against crime and corruption. This would need improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System by enhancing detective and forensic environments; enhancing the skills and increasing the number of investigators and forensic experts; accelerating efforts to reduce serious and violent crimes; modernizing the Criminal Justice System through the application of technology solutions; and establishing a border management agency to manage migration, customs and land borderline control services.
In strengthening crime prevention, the Department realized it would need to improve regional cooperation and contribute to the establishment of a Border Management Agency; provide a rapid response capability for intervening in dangerous and potentially dangerous situations; coordinate anti-corruption operations across the Criminal Justice System; improve fingerprints and forensic services; and capacitate the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI) which had replaced the DSO.
The Department sought to provide actionable intelligence on crime priorities to ensure prosecutions,
focus intelligence operations against syndicates involved in drug and people smuggling and human trafficking, capacitate crime intelligence, and improve coordination between crime intelligence and operational divisions to enhance operational activities. Human capital development and budget and resource management were identified as areas that needed attention. Skills development and retention were identified as critical, as were the health and wellness of the employees and transformation.
The Department sought to enhance information systems and information communication technology to safeguard records and data on corruption crimes across the criminal justice system, combat cyber crime
and enhance asset management. The purpose of the long-term infrastructure and capital asset plan was to improve the infrastructure of SAPS in line with the needs of the community and requirements that have been determined by the National Commissioner.
The purpose of the service delivery improvement programme was to improve basic service delivery by ensuring the implementation of the Batho Pele principles within SAPS. The firearms strategy was to eradicate the proliferation of firearms available for criminal use in crime and violence. The crime against women and children strategy was to reduce crimes against women and children as well as the impact of these crimes on them. The corruption and fraud prevention strategy was to prevent corruption and fraud in the SAPS. The risk management strategy included finalising the revision of the enterprise risk management framework, procurement of a risk management information system, establishing risk assurance, and improving risk management capacity and knowledge within SAPS.
Secretariat of Police presentation
Ms Jenni Irish-Qhobosheane, Secretary of Police, Ministry of Police, said that the Secretariat was established to provide efficient and effective civilian oversight over the SAPS and enhance the role of the Minister of Police. The Secretariat comprised four units, each with its own activities and objectives.
The Human Resources unit was to attract and retain appropriate skilled and qualified human resources; revise and promote recruitment policy; support the Secretary of Police in ensuring there are effective performance management processes in place; facilitate the training of all management staff in the use of PMA; and develop human resource capacity to meet new demands placed on the Secretariat.
A preliminary budget of R21 687 490.00 was tabled and illustrated with graphs and figures.
Discussion
Mr Bheki Cele, National Commissioner of Police, wanted to know how far the Department had progressed with amendments to the Police Act and if it was going to bind the Police Commissioner. Secondly, he asked when the DNA databasewould be available to investigators. Thirdly, he enquired about strategies the Department had in place to fight serious crimes at schools. Fourthly, he wanted to find out how the Department was going to increase the capacity of crime intelligence because it was the backbone of the country, and what plans the department had for personnel in the Lesotho border and at Matatiele as it was very cold there.
Lieutenant-General Martha Stander, Deputy National Commissioner, SAPS, told Members that work would start immediately in amending the Police Act and the Police Commissioner would be bound by its rules. Regarding the DNA database, she said that in the past the Department had problems but now it was in a good position to solve them. Extra money had been received and new equipment bought. Highly qualified people had been hired. The turnaround time now was less than 90 days and that had reduced backlogs. About crime in schools, she stated that a partnership was in place between the Department of Basic Education, schools, and the police. Plans were developed to deal with the issue. If arrests were not made, that means the schools were not doing their work. All schools were declared in the Government Gazette as firearm-free and drug-free zones. On crime intelligence, she explained that the Department’s capacity was standing at approximately 7 000. It was supposed to be 9 000. Progress had been made, but the challenge was that more people still needed to be trained. The Department still had to examine new equipment because most crimes had been committed through the information technology (IT) system, and the National Commissioner has prioritized crime intelligence. Lastly, she told the Committee that special clothes and jackets had been made for police working in areas like Matatiele and Lesotho border where temperatures sometimes fell to minus 10°C.
Mr J Bekker (Western Cape, DA) was concerned about the implementation of the Department’s plans at ground level because there were many cases of crimes committed, but the accused had been acquitted because evidence was lost.
Lieutenant-General Stander replied that the Department did not have a system for missing dockets. It was trying to work with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to ensure that it knew which dockets to expect. The problem was infrastructural. But now the Department had introduced an e-docket system to make things easier for the two Departments.
Mr A Matila (Gauteng, ANC) asked if the establishment of the Secretariat was not going to lead to creating another department, because in terms of human resources it needed R21 million. He further enquired about strategies the Department had in place to fight crime within the police force. Lastly, he wanted to know why the idea of a single police force was being revived.
Lieutenant-General Stander explained that Secretariat was established under Section 208 of the Constitution. Parliament had adopted the White Paper on Safety and Security 1998. The role of the Secretariat, within the policing division, was to help the Minister in terms of research and policy issues. About crime within the police force, she said that strategies and corruption plans were in place to deal with police who committed crime. Those found involved in crime had been treated like other criminals and, when found guilty, had been eliminated from the service. Regarding the single police force, she explained that the issue was being explored. Many problems such as missing weapons from the metro police had been discovered. That was the problem at local level. The Secretariat was examining commanding control issues. Furthermore, the Constitution spoke of a single police unit. Before the adoption of the Constitution, metro police were established, but the policy had been reviewed. The Act gave the Minister the right to exercise power and to be responsible for policing and development of policy.
Mr D Bloem (Free State, COPE) wanted to know about the morale of the police force in the light of the service delivery protests. The police had not been thoroughly trained to fight public violence.
General Stander assured Members that the moral of the police was still good, especially now that they were given army ranks. They were equipped with tools to fight the protests. They were reporting in time for duty.
Mr B Nesi (Eastern Cape, ANC) commented that the Department should stop changing policies and start implementing them. Since 1994 laws had been changed but were not implemented. Members wanted to witness public confidence in the police. ‘Screws should be tightened’.
The meeting was adjourned.
Documents
Present
- We don't have attendance info for this committee meeting
Download as PDF
You can download this page as a PDF using your browser's print functionality. Click on the "Print" button below and select the "PDF" option under destinations/printers.
See detailed instructions for your browser here.