Safety & Security

Community safety and security in South Africa

Safety and security has always been a pressing issue in South Africa. The establishment of neighbourhood watch groups and many other means to protect communities speaks volumes about people’s need to feel safe. Addressing crime prevention in both national and provincial policy sphere is not new to South Africa.

In 1996, South Africa adopted the National Crime Prevention Strategy, which covers the development approach to safety. In 1998, the police adopted the White Paper on safety and security; a policy position for the police on safety. Thirteen years later, Department of Social Development adopted the Integrated Social Crime Prevention Strategy. This strategy contains a version of a safe South Africa, safe communities, safe families and responsible individuals. By placing a priority on the poorest of the poor, marginalised and disadvantaged groups, the strategy provides a sound basis for controlling crime and social crime prevention in South Africa.

The South African Government has adopted the four pillar approach as a model which set out the different areas in which crime prevention should be developed. This model is intended to provide a basis for the development of crime prevention initiatives at provincial and municipal level, as well as through civil society initiatives.

Pillar 1

The Criminal Justice Process: aims at making the criminal justice system more efficient and effective. It aims to provide a sure and clear deterrent for criminals; reduce the opportunity to commit crime; increase the ease of detection and identification of criminals. It aims to improve access to disempowered groups to Criminal Justices Processes which includes children, women, the elderly and victims in general.

Public values and education: This is an initiativethat aims to change the way communities react to crime and violence. It involves programmes which utilize public education and information in facilitating meaningful citizen participation in crime prevention. It strengthens the weak points through designing new systems training personal. The leading agency is Justice assisted by safety and security, correctional services, NGO’s and Private sectors.

Crime information and intelligent: Adequate crime information is vital as a key resource in developing preventive strategies under pillars 2, 3, 4. This programme involves focussing and improves coordination and analysis of strategy information of crime prevention purposes.

Secure Crime Care for Juveniles: Youthful offenders suspected of serious offences should not be held in standard prison or police cells. They need to be held in environment which avoid unnecessary trauma and strengthens the likelihood of eventual re-integration into society. This requires the creation of special secure care facilities for young suspects and convicts.

Agencies: Welfare through inter-ministerial committee on young people at risk, which include department of justice, safety and security and correctional services. This team will be assisted by other key departments such as; public works, NGO’s and private sectors.

Pillar 2

Reducing crime through environmental design: The high incident of many forms of crime is due to environments which provide enough opportunity for crime, and where risks of detection are low. This pillar will extend the development of security-based design of residential areas and shopping malls. The aim is to promote the use of environmental designs in a new areas including in the design of delivery system, the organisation of industries and accounting systems.

Pillar3

Public values and education; the prevailing moral climate within communities, attitudes towards crimes and the willingness of citizens and communities to take responsibility for crime are critical factors in reducing tolerance towards crime and reducing crime level (such as domestic violence, intimate partner violence and illegal substance use). This pillar covers the strategies aimed at intervening in the way in which society engages with and responds to crime and conflict.

Public education; public awareness of the causes of the implication of crimes including the purchase of stolen property are key factors of crime prevention. The agency is safety and security (supported by the NGO’s, Health, and local community groups) are also key role players in this areas and many other sectors, including welfare, churches and justice.

Pillar 4

Trans national crime; the international and regional criminal syndicate have a large influence in promoting crime in South Africa. The aim of transnational crime is to prioritise the deployment of intelligence capacity to focus on regional movements and methods employed by crime syndicates. Agency: SARS, Home Affairs, Justice, and security committee.

References:

Demombynes G. and B. Ozler. 2005. “Crime and Local Inequality in South Africa.” Journal of Development Economics 76: 265-292

Faull, A. (2007). Corruption and the South African Police Service: A Review and its implications, Institute forSecurity Studies, Pretoria, South Africa.

Pelser, E (2002). Crime Prevention Partnerships: Lessons from practice. Institute for security studies, Pretoria, South Africa.

Health Promotion

Cato Crest Ikhona Lamadoda Community Project 2016

Community safety and security in South Africa