This is the third report of the Broken Blue Line project – the previous two having been published by the IRR in 2011 and 2015. As with the two previous reports this third report examines the extent to which the police are involved in perpetrating criminal violence.

There should be no need for such a report as the police should be our primary line of defence against criminal violence. However, as you will read, in too many cases that line of defence has broken down and the supposed defenders have become perpetrators. As long as the police service remains a home to violent criminals it is very unlikely that South Africa will experience a sustained and significant decline in serious and violent crime.

It is essential therefore that pressure be brought to bear on political authorities to take police criminality seriously and deal with it effectively, and begin implementing innovative solutions (as put forward in our report). Creating such pressure is also one of the most effective means by which South Africa can support the efforts of hard working and committed members of the police service.

Report by the Institute Of Race Relations