Here’s a plan to use budget for police better

A part of the budget for the South African Police Service can be used to make communities safer writes, Zakhele Mbhele, MP and DA Shadow Minister of Police.

The biggest problem when it comes to the shoddy state of the South African Police Service (Saps) is chronic mismanagement of its budget. This is what results in under-staffing, under-resourcing, under-equipping and under-training at station level across South Africa.

It’s time for fresh, bold ideas to turn around the police service into an effective and efficient crime-fighting and law enforcement agency, starting with a different approach to the resourcing of the police. Here is one idea: implementing a 75/25 Rule which means:

25% of the police budget is ring-fenced for National, Provincial and cluster offices to carry out supervision and co-ordination functions. Of the remaining 75%:

1/3 (ie. 25% of total budget) is allocated equitably to all police precincts (each station gets the same amount)

1/3 (ie. 25% of total budget) is allocated directly to police stations weighted according to crime statistics, so that communities with higher burdens are better-resourced.

1/3 (ie. 25% of total budget) is allocated directly to police stations weighted according to population, so that areas that have bigger populations are better-resourced.

With this kind of localised approach, the police can better ensure safer homes and safer streets.