We need better plan to fight crime
No one can deny that we are living in unprecedented times of criminality, and the release of the frightening crime statistics of the third quarter only confirmed what we already know.
The figures released by police minister Bheki Cele revealed that more than 10,000 rapes were reported between July and September, that 7,004 people were murdered in the same period and that from April to September, 558 children were killed.
The impact of these figures is reflected in every one of us who, to some degree, is affected by this crime wave.
We have also come to accept that there is a problem in our policing, with fewer police on the streets than is needed and insufficient resources like patrol vehicles and trained detectives.
But we must also not be fooled into believing that even with enough resources, fighting the crime problem is the police’s responsibility alone.
Crime is a national problem. It threatens our entire existence and livelihood, making it all the more reason why we must deal with it holistically by involving communities.
What we need most is intelligence-led policing that systematically collect information and analyse all forms of crime.
This information will lead to development of better strategies to expect where and when crimes most likely occur and focus resources accordingly.
This will overtime empower communities and lead to better understanding of how to deal with the problem.
With this approach, police will no longer sit at police stations waiting for calls but can actually prevent crimes from happening and save lives. This will also ensure the public is recruited into the process of law enforcement.
Fixing the dysfunctional community policing forums (CPFs) as highlighted in a recent report into the July riots, is one of the ways in which relations between police and residents can be improved.
Why police management has been so slow to re-establish and strengthen CPFs boggles the mind. Many South Africans are crying out for strong leadership that will give them competent and efficient police service that they badly need to fight this scourge.