Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
19 July 1996
GAUTENG MINISTRY OF SAFETY AND SECURITY INITIATIVES WITH BUSINESS AGAINST CRIME
The MEC for Safety and Security, Jessie Duarte has been working with Business Against Crime to examine areas of co-operation between business and the SAPS in the area of crime combatting which will result in improved service delivery of the SAPS.
Special focus has been given to the question of capacity building and the development of management skills of different levels of management in the SAPS.
Twelve police stations have been identified throughout the province at which a Mentoring Project will be piloted. This involves identifying, with the assistance of Business Against Crime, local managers in the area who will work with local station commissioners to examine current management practices employed in the station.
The Sandton Police Station was identified as a station to pilot this initiative. A multi-skilled team of six consultants, drawn from various companies in the Rand Merchant Bank group was assembled to conduct the investigation into management practices in the station.
FINDINGS
The project team found that the police station does not operate in an efficient or community-centred manner.
The team found that, as a result of high absenteeism, a lack of work ethic, inadequate training and inadequate control over the station's assets, there was an impression created that there is a personnel shortage. The team found that this shortage is not actual or factual, and is caused by ineffective management of resources, rather than a lack of resources.
The project team identified a need for human resources management training at police stations with an emphasis on staff training which would include literacy training, computer user training and typing, customer service, public relations and telephone skills.
These findings were communicated to the Station Commissioner who indicated that he is in the process of assessing how best to implement a proper plan to address some of the recommendations made by the project team.
The MEC for Safety and Security Ms. Jessie Duarte, welcomes the findings of the Project Team and the response of the SAPS. "The issue of resources and management of resources in the SAPS has often been raised as a constraint in service delivery and dealing with crime and now facts speak for themselves," she said.
One of the issues raised by the Project team was that public perceptions and expectations are not effectively managed and that successes are not communicated.
In the Johannesburg area, priority crimes reported during June 1996 showed a decrease of 4,67% if compared to May 1996, and a decrease of 14,19% as compared to June 1995.
There was a decrease in the following five priority crimes as compared to May 1996:
Robbery - 33,33% Commercial Crimes - 27,78% Rape - 25,69% Burglary of residential premises - 12,92% Theft - 6,41%
The MEC for Safety and Security would like to emphasise that the strategy for dealing with crime is one which needs to take into account both the need for visibility of the police as well as the effective management and utilisation of resources, both human and logistical.
Issued by: Ministry of Public Safety and Security, Gauteng Province Enquiries: Mbulelo Musi Tel : 082 571 3591