National Crime Prevention Strategy: briefing by SAPS

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Police

17 February 1998
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PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SAFETY AND SECURITY

17 FEBRUARY 1998

NATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGY: PRESENTATION

Commissioner Fivaz, National Commissioner of the South African Police Services, gave a slide presentation on the National Crime Prevention Strategy. After the presentation the chairperson, Mr Molekane, gave the audience a chance to question Commissioner Fivaz on the presentation.

Commissioner Fivas was questioned as to the current success rate of the National Crime Prevention Strategy. The Chief Executive Officer of SAPS, Mr M Kahn, said that according to national statistics in 1997, all areas of crime had declined or stabilised by 15%, except for rape.

Mr Matthee (NP) asked when SAPS would be able to implement the plans for the crime prevention and Case Handling and allocation. Regarding crime prevention, Commissioner Fivaz informed the audience that crime pattern analysis was the method to prevent crime and an officer was based in Cape Town and Johannesburg to formulate these analyses. Case Handling and allocation was being implemented by having more specialised training for detectives, according to Mr Kahn. SAPS was also relieving detectives of their work load by transferring work from the detective branch to the uniform branch.

A member of the audience wanted to know where our society would be in two years time as a result of the National Crime Prevention Strategy. Mr Kahn said that the only means to measure the success would be to compare our country to the standards of the world. Only 70 countries produce sophisticated crime statistics. In 1996, South Africa was ranked 64th in terms of safety. Mr Kahn said that in three to five years, South Africa aimed to be within the top twenty safest countries in the world.

The Commissioner was asked how the National Crime Prevention Strategy was dealing with the problem on the Cape Flats. Commissioner Fivaz said that it was important to go to the root cause of the problem. The police had deployed more intelligence people in the area. However SAPS had to join forces with other departments and organisations to solve the problem.

No more questions were asked and the Chairperson closed the meeting.

 

APPENDIX 1:

PRESENTATION ON THE NATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGY

 

 

HISTORY OF THE NCPS

  • Lack of Systematic approach to Crime Prevention in South Africa
  • Systemic decay in the Criminal Justice System
  • Crime is not one thing, but many things
  • Need to "problem solve" the blockages in the Justice System
  • Cabinet approved a comprehensive strategy in May 1996

 

AIMS OF THE NCPS

  • Reduce levels of Crime sustainably
  • Generate shared understanding of Crime Prevention in government and civil society
  • Build Crime Prevention partnerships between all levels of government and non-government stakeholders
  • Create confidence in governments ability to tackle the crime problem

 

FOCUS AREAS

  • Integrated Justice System Project
  • Environmental Design
  • Public Values & Education
  • Priority Crimes

 

 

FOCUS AREA 1

INTEGRATED JUSTICE SYSTEM

OBJECTIVE

  • To make the Justice System a real deterrent to criminals
  • To improved overall efficiency
  • Increased capacity
  • Reduced cost
  • Elimination of duplication
  • To provide quality information to support good management of all aspects of the Justice System

 

FOCUS AREA 2

ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

OBJECTIVE

  • Reducing opportunities for crime by changing the environment in which it occurs
  • Help citizens to take back ownership of their neighbourhoods
  • Development of safer cities
  • Involve local government in crime prevention planning and implementation

 

FOCUS AREA 3

PUBLIC VALUES & EDUCATION

OBJECTIVES

  • To develop strategies aimed at addressing the way in which society engages and responds to crime
  • Investment in the youth to create a generation of law-abiding citizens
  • Improve schools based programme which provide vital life skills
  • Use educare, safer schools, sport and recreation programmes to educate children and young people
  • To make people of all ages aware of alternative dispute resolution methods

 

FOCUS AREA 4

PRIORITY CRIMES

FIREARMS

  • To control the proliferation of legal and illegal firearms
  • National strategy agreed by government
  • SAPS developing implementation plan
  • Upgrade policing and intelligence
  • Consultation with pro- and anti-gun groups
  • Legislation
  • Tighter controls and penalties

 

BORDER CONTROL

  • To make it harder to carry out transnational crimes
  • Commercial goods only through selected ports
  • Only 10 Airports to take international flights
  • All Ports of entry being upgraded
  • Control procedures being improved
  • SANDF patrolling border line
  • Team work at all levels

 

MOTOR VEHICLE CRIME

  • To make it unprofitable for criminals to steal or hijack cars
  • Improved registration system
  • Systems to stop stolen vehicles passing through borders
  • Improved resources & training for policing and intelligence
  • Tighten legislation and policing of motor vehicle parts

 

 

THE DYNAMICS OF CRIME

  • Social problem
  • Root causes need to be identified
  • Must be addressed by society at large (values)
  • Can’t be addressed by the Police on it’s own
  • Needs a joint approach (Government Departments + Communities)
  • SAPS adopted a style of Community Policing based on partnerships

Mission

To achieve the vision the main focus or mission of the SAPS is to:

- Prevent any action that may threaten the safety or security of any community;

- Investigate any criminal conduct which has threatened the safety or security of any community and brings the perpetrators to justice; and

- Participate in endeavours that will address the root causes of crime in all communities

POLICING PRIORITIES

These identified priorities and objectives have been formulated within the framework of the National Crime Prevention Strategy

(i) FIREARMS

(ii) CRIMINAL ORGANISATIONS

(iii) CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

(iv) CORRUPTION WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

(v) CRIME PREVENTION

(i) FIREARMS

PRIORITY 1

The operational strategy for the Priority: Firearms, forms part of the broader strategy directed against criminal organizations In this regard it is aimed at reducing the circulation, supply and possession of unlicensed firearms by improving the detection and apprehension of persons involved in the smuggling of and dealing in illegal firearms

(ii) CRIMINAL ORGANISATIONS

PRIORITY 2:

  • For the Priority: Criminal Organizations, the operational strategy will aim specifically at identifying and neutralizing criminal organizations This strategy will have an impact on the following crimes and crime tendencies which are currently affected by the activities of criminal organizations:
  • armed robbery (including bank robbery), illicit drugs, illegal firearms, vehicle- related crimes (including hijackings), commercial crimes, taxi-related violence, counterfeit currency and contraband and attacks on farms

(iii) CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

PRIORITY 3

  • This priority will firstly inform vulnerable groups of their rights and secondly enhance the quality of service provided to victims
  • While the NCPS will begin to address the longer-term root causes, the Police Service will primarily focus on ensuring better care for women and children when reporting crime against them

(iv) CORRUPTION WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

PRIORITY 4

  • The aim is to reduce the incidence of corruption within the criminal justice system by increasing detection, apprehension and/or dismissal of offenders by inter alia encouraging, supporting and rewarding the reporting thereof

(v) CRIME PREVENTION

PRIORITY 5

  • Crime prevention is not only aimed at reducing crimes, but also seeks to reduce the fear of crime and improve the general feeling and perception of safety and security amongst people

NCPS LINKED PROJECTS:

 

VEHICLE CRIME -KEEP IT LEGAL

LEAD DEPARTMENT: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

  • The primary purpose of the project is to create a comprehensive data system (between Natis and commercial databases) to provide a comprehensive, national information database called NAVDAT to be used to combat crime
  • The expected outputs are:

- The availability of information to prevent the re-registration, double financing, double insuring and sale to the industry of stolen vehicles

- The supporting of Natis as the backbone of the vehicle identification system in South Africa

- The use of a limited number of commercial databases to service the needs of the banks, insurance companies and the motor industry for information to prevent vehicle related fraud

- Establish online vehicle information to all border posts

VEHICLE CRIME - KEEP IT HERE

LEAD DEPARTMENT: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

  • The primary aim of the project is to prevent vehicles from being illegally exported, by virtue of IT improvements at border posts that would identify such vehicles as either stolen or not having permission from financial institutions to cross the South African borders

 

VEHICLE CRIME - KEEP IT WHOLE

LEAD DEPARTMENT: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

  • The primary aim of the project is to minimise illegal trading in secondhand parts at chop shops and to make vehicles identifiable, deadlines for the project, research into current and alternative methods of parts marking, research into legislation

CASE HANDLING AND ALLOCATION

LEAD DEPARTMENT: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

  • The purpose of the project is to ensure the efficient allocation and handling of cases in order to expedite the investigation of cases and to ensure the successful prosecution of offenders
  • The aim of the project is:

Better functioning of the CJS by:

- the improved quality of investigation,

- by crimes being investigated timeously,

- the decrease of corruption

- and the improved liaison between SAPS and the department of Justice

AUTOMATED FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM(AFIS)

LEAD DEPARTMENT: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

  • The purpose of the project is to replace the manual searching of fingerprint records with an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)
  • The outcome of this will be:

- A more effective judicial process

- Better functioning of the CJS through a faster response time to produce a criminal record

- Better functioning of the CJS by combating international crime

- Better functioning of the CJS as a result of an increase in accuracy and productivity

ENTERPRISE PROCESS/ INFORMATION MANAGEMENT(EPIM)

LEAD DEPARTMENT: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

  • The purpose of the project is to utilize the functionality of computer technology and to enable the department to render a more efficient and effective service to the public

BORDER CONTROL

LEAD DEPARTMENT: DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY AND SECURITY/SAPS

  • The aim of the project is to coordinate and advise on operational functions in relation to border control by:
  • Developing recommendations regarding joint operational policy, standards, procedures and future strategic planning. These recommendations will be handed to the different departments to assist the management of the departments in decision making on matters regarding border control
  • Monitoring implementation and execution of above guidelines
  • Evaluation of the effectiveness of joint operational services of ports/places of entry
  • Facilitating inter-departmental communication at all levels
  • Facilitating and coordinating joint training requirements for border control
  • Providing orientation and border post management training
  • Optimizing all available resources for border control
  • Establishing and maintaining joint management structures on provincial and border levels

CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION

LEAD DEPARTMENT: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

  • The purpose of the project is to install and use closed circuit television as an aid in crime prevention for safer cities and other priority areas
  • The aim of the project is to:

- Increase the feeling of safety in the community

- Increase the quality use of the area by the community

- Decrease crime by supporting those factors in the environment which have been created to prevent crime

- Contribute to the financial revitalization of central business districts

- Facilitate the investigation of crime, tracing suspects and giving evidence about crimes

- Support integrated anti- crime strategies in the area

- Better use of police resources through suitable reaction on incidents

- Support an integrated management strategy for the CBD, including traffic and emergency services

- Build a partnership between the police, local authority and the community

COMMUNITY SAFETY CENTRES

LEAD DEPARTMENT: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

The aim of the programme is

  • the establishment of facilities through integrated planning for the rendering of social services in a secure, accessible, efficient and sustainable way, thereby providing a catalyst for the overall social and economic upliftment of surrounding communities, as well as creating a context of stability in which development can be nurtured
  •  

The overriding focus of the community safety centre initiative is:

  • To provide services based on need, i.e. to design the service package around needs which have been identified by the community Initially these will focus on creating a context of safety, security and general well-being
  • To integrate the service delivery process
  • To facilitate greater accessibility to public services
  • To eliminate duplication of services and thereby contribute to a more efficient, more coherent and more effective service package
  • To enable an environment of sharing ideas, expertise, skills, personnel and resources by participating departments
  • To facilitate a lateral approach to problem solving
  • To promote inter-sectorial collaboration

CRIME SCENE HANDLING

LEAD DEPARTMENT: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

The Aim of the project is to:

  • Limit the damage done to evidence due to incorrect conduct of police officers at the crime scene
  • Ensure that all available evidence is collected and preserved
  • The desired outcome of the project is the better functioning of the Criminal Justice System by improved:

- crime scene management

- crime scene support

- crime scene management

ESCAPES

LEAD DEPARTMENT: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

  • Major Objective:

- Perceptions of the effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System(CJS) were effected negatively by high profile escapes from custody This programme strive to re- establish confidence in the CJS by introducing coordination in departmental initiatives to prevent escapes from custody

  • Leading factors towards escapes from custody
  • Visitors to detainees
  • Physical conditions of cell doors and locks
  • External perimeters of cells
  • Recreational Areas
  • Expected Outputs
  • Upgrading of Infrastructure
  • Re-evaluated processes, procedures and regulations
  • Highly trained officials
  • Higher morale and discipline amongst members

 

COMMERCIAL CRIME

LEAD DEPARTMENT: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

The primary aim of the project is:

  • To reduce opportunities and increase detection and apprehension for those involved in

- White Collar Crime

- Commercial Crime

- Large Scale Fraud

- Economic Offences

  • Expected Outputs of the project

- A holistic approach to commercial crime

- The establishment of and environment and culture hostile to commercial crime

- An effective Criminal Justice Process regarding commercial crime as from prevention, investigations up to prosecution and sentencing

Reconstruction of the South African Police Service

  • Major Problem Areas

- Socio-Political

- Transitional

- Structural

  • Concentrate on structural solutions in order to build foundation for effective law enforcement into the future
  • Integrated into an all-embracing strategy

 

The Programme

  • Operational Models

- Pockets of Excellence

- All hands on deck

- Resource application

  • Behaviour

- Code of conduct

- Negative Discipline

- Positive Discipline

- Standards for Performance Assessment

- Empowerment

  • Role in the Criminal Justice System

- Diversion

- Departmental focus (South African Police Service)

- Cluster focus (Interdepartmental)

  • Finance

- Budgetary Approach

- Standards

- Control

- Discretionary Spending

 

Johannesburg Project

Towards a Solution

  • New Policing Model & Pockets of excellence
  • Piloted

- Service Delivery Improvement Programme (SDIP)

- Operational Approaches

- Crime Information & Intelligence

- Conduct/Behaviour

- Resource Allocation and Redistribution

- Development and monitoring of standards

- Division

- Investigation of Crime

  • Close cooperation between National and Provincial management

 

The Approach - Now!

  • Division of JHB into four new areas & phasing out of old areas
  • Appointments

- Four new Area Commissioners

- Area Heads

- Crime Investigation

- Crime Intelligence & Information

- Crime Prevention

  • Review placement of senior personnel
  • Provincial Inspectorate to focus on administrative & support functions

 

 

OBSTACLES IN THE POLICING ENVIRONMENT

  • Perceptions about crime
  • Corruption
  • Backlogs (training, accommodation, equipment)
  • Limited resources
  • Poor socio-economic conditions in certain areas
  • Social values (culture of violence) - (domestic violence)
  • Intolerance in certain areas (Taxi Violence etc)

 

CONCLUSION

  • Through the GEAR, RDP and NCPS we are striving towards our vision of Safety and Security for all
  • To achieve this there is a need for Safety and Security support of and participation in development initiatives such as Spatial Development etc to:
  • Design out crime in our environment by limiting opportunities and maximising the constraints of crime
  • Address the root causes of crime through community education, public participation and resistance against criminal behaviour
  • The Environmental Design and Community Values and Education Pillars should be mobilised by creating such capacity at National, Provincial and Local level within and between departments

 

 

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