scholarly journals Worrying trends: The official 2008/09 South African crime statistics

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Burger
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Crime Rate ◽  
Downward Trend ◽  
Crime Statistics ◽  
The South ◽  
Police Service ◽  
South African Police Service ◽  
South African Police ◽  
Official Crime

The South African Police Service (SAPS) released the official crime statistics for 2008/2009 on 22 September 2009. As usual the statistics drew huge media and public interest. This article provides an overview of the key trends and offers an analysis of the statistics. Key trends include that the overall crime rate, after a five-year respite in which there was a downward trend, is on the increase; as are the so-called 'trio crimes'  (house robberies, business robberies and car hijackings) and truck hijackings. This article briefly considers the controversy around the validity of the police's crime statistics and notes a few lessons from Colombia.

Safeguarding the Republic? The South African Police Service, Legitimacy and the Tribulations of Policing a Violent Democracy

2021 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-108
Author(s):  
Guy Lamb
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Public Trust ◽  
The South ◽  
Police Service ◽  
South African Police Service ◽  
The Republic ◽  
South African Police ◽  
High Crime ◽  
Excessive Use Of Force

Since 1994 the South African Police Service (SAPS) has undertaken various efforts to build legitimacy in South Africa. Extensive community policing resources have been made available, and a hybrid community-oriented programme (sector policing) has been pursued. Nevertheless, public opinion data has shown that there are low levels of public trust in the police. Using Goldsmith’s framework of trust-diminishing police behaviours, this article suggests that indifference, a lack of professionalism, incompetence and corruption on the part of the police, particularly in high-crime areas, have eroded public trust in the SAPS. Furthermore, in an effort to maintain order, reduce crime and assert the authority of the state, the police have adopted militaristic strategies and practices, which have contributed to numerous cases of excessive use of force, which has consequently weakened police legitimacy in South Africa

scholarly journals UNLAWFUL ARREST AND UNLAWFUL DETENTION: SEPARATE GROUNDS OF ACTION AND PUNITIVE DAMAGES Mvu v Minister of Safety and Security 2009 6 SA 82 (GSJ)

Obiter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Neethling ◽  
JM Potgieter
Keyword(s):  
Police Officer ◽  
South African ◽  
Punitive Damages ◽  
The South ◽  
Police Service ◽  
South African Police Service ◽  
Love Relationship ◽  
South African Police ◽  
A Charge

In Mvu v Minister of Safety and Security the plaintiff, an inspector in the South African Police Service was arrested without a warrant for malicious damage to property (his 15-year old daughters’ cellphones). It transpired that the plaintiff, while on police business in Gauteng, visited his daughters. He became enraged when he discovered that they had received cellphones by way of a “love relationship”, whereupon he took the cellphones and threw them to the ground, seriously damaging them. The daughters went to apolice station and laid a charge against the plaintiff for malicious damage to property. The police officer seized with the matter telephoned the plaintiff who immediately travelled to meet him. Upon arrival he arrested the plaintiff and imprisoned him overnight with six other men and set him free the following afternoon on warning. When the matter eventually came to court, the plaintiff was discharged at the end of the state’s case. 

scholarly journals UNFIT TO OWN A FIREARM? The role of the police in firearm control

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Minnaar ◽  
Duxita Mistry
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
The South ◽  
Police Service ◽  
South African Police Service ◽  
Firearm Control ◽  
South African Police ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

This article draws on a study that examined aspects of the implementation by the South African Police Service (SAPS) of section 11 of the old Arms and Ammunition Act. This section refers to the declaration by the police of a person to be unfit to possess a licensed firearm.Although the police are more vigilant than ever about declaring people unfit, their lack of knowledge about the process needs to be addressed, as does the tendency of police and prosecutors to blame each other for problems that arise. Unless these deficiencies are ironed out soon, they will obstruct the execution of the new Firearms Control Act.

scholarly journals Occupational Stress, Personality Traits, Coping Strategies, and Suicide Ideation in the South African Police Service

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobus Pienaar ◽  
Sebastiaan Rothmann ◽  
Fons J. R. van de Vijver
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Occupational Stress ◽  
South African ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
The South ◽  
Police Service ◽  
South African Police Service ◽  
South African Police

The objective of this study is to determine whether suicide ideation among uniformed police officers of the South African Police Service could be predicted on the basis of occupational stress, personality traits, and coping strategies. Using a cross-sectional survey design, the Adult Suicide Ideation Questionnaire, the Police Stress Inventory, the Personality Characteristics Inventory, and the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced are administered to a stratified random sample of 1,794 police employees from eight South African provinces. A logistic regression analysis shows that low scores on conscientiousness, emotional stability, approach coping, and turning to religion as well as high scores on avoidance coping are associated with more suicide ideation.

scholarly journals Coping, stress and burnout in the South African police service in Kwazulu-natal

2003 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Wiese ◽  
S. Rothmann ◽  
K. Storm
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
South African ◽  
Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽  
Measuring Instruments ◽  
The South ◽  
Passive Coping ◽  
Police Service ◽  
South African Police Service ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
South African Police

The objective of this research was to determine the relationship between coping, stress and burnout in the South African Police Service. A survey design was used. The study population (N = 257) consisted of police personnel in Kwazulu-Natal. The COPE, Police Stress Inventory and Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey (MBI-GS), were used as measuring instruments. Structural equation analysis showed that job demands (as stressors) are associated with exhaustion. Passive coping strategies contributed to exhaustion and cynicism, while seeking emotional support led to lower exhaustion. Exhaustion contributed to cynicism. Stress because of a lack of resources, active coping strategies and not coping passively seem to impact on professional efficacy. Opsomming Die doelstelling van hierdie navorsing was om die verband tussen coping, stres en uitbranding binne die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens te ondersoek. ’n Opname-ontwerp is gebruik. Die studiepopulasie (N = 257) het bestaan uit polisiepersoneel in Kwazulu-Natal. Die COPE, die Polisiestres-Opname en die Maslach-uitbrandingsvraelys – Algemene Opname (MBI-GS) is as meetinstrumente gebruik. Strukturele vergelykingsmodellering het aangetoon dat werkseise (as stressore) geassosieer word met uitputting. Passiewe coping- strategieë het bygedra tot uitputting en sinisme, terwyl die soeke na emosionele ondersteuning tot laer uitputting gelei het. Uitputting het tot sinisme bygedra. Stres a.g.v. ’n tekort aan hulpbronne (invers), aktiewe coping-strategieë en passiewe coping-strategieë (invers) blyk ’n uitwerking op professionele doeltreffendheid te hê.

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