Parliament - South African Police Services (SAPS) personnel will increase over the next three years as government intensifies its war on crime.
The SAPS personnel will increase from 183 180 to 204 860 over the next three years, Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa said on Wednesday.
As the capacity of the SAPS continues to improve across the whole spectrum, more focus will paid to increasing the numbers in Visible Policing, Detectives and Crime Intelligence.
President Jacob Zuma said last month in his State of the Nation Address that government would wage a war against crime and the police minister today outlined plans to do that.
"This year alone, the number of detectives will increase by more than 19 percent. More than 12 928 persons are undergoing detective related training this year, and this programme is already underway," said the minister, tabling his department's Budget Vote in Parliament.
Further to this, Mr Mthethwa announced that in order to improve government's capacity to provide technical support for investigations and crime prevention operations, the department would increase police intelligence personnel as well as the associated operational expenditures.
"In any policing system, intelligence should act as a nerve centre. Intelligence has a crucial role to play in all aspects of policing. The need to revitalize the intelligence component of SAPS as well as the integration of intelligence into all aspects of policing is a high priority," said the minister.
He said a permanent Divisional Commissioner in the SAPS's Crime Intelligence Division would be appointed this month. He said this would bring about stability in the division which had over 1000 vacant posts.
"This situation cannot be allowed to continue. Therefore, we shall work to ensure that these posts are filled as a matter of urgency," said Mr Mthethwa.
He said it was important to deepen partnerships with communities as they could provide capacity which was not always available at police stations.
"In using the resources, skills and capacity of our partners, we can find ways of maximizing our strength and at the same time minimizing our weaknesses."
The ministry is establishing a dedicated unit to focus on deepening interaction with communities, civil society, business, faith-based organizations and the three spheres of government
Mr Mthethwa thanked those community members who gave up their personal time to patrol streets and form Community Policing Forums (CPFs). A total of 95 percent of all the police stations in South Africa have established CPFs.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) in addition will become fully functional next week, with Anwar Dramat heading the unit. Fifty one members of the former Directorate of Special Operations (Scorpions) have already joined the new unit.
A further 227 will join the unit on 6 July.
"Altogether, 1700 members have undergone security clearance processes and are ready to ensure that the unit hits the ground running. The unit will have presence in all nine provinces," said Minister Mthethwa.
On 23 March, a summit held to address challenges faced by police reservists, agreed that a task team should be appointed to consider the issue of permanent employment of reservists.
The first permanent intake of reservists in June/July will involve 1 100 reservists.
The minister said these reservists would have to undergo proper training before they are deployed and that they would be required to meet the standard selection criteria.
He said the time for inefficiencies and lethargy in the fight against crime was over. "Everything we do must and will be performance driven. The war against crime must be taken to a new level," said Mr Mthethwa.
