Intelligence comes out tops
CRIME intelligence proved to be the best-performing programme in the Department of Police, said Parliament’s portfolio committee on police yesterday.
Out of the five police programmes, it was the only one to achieve 100% of its predetermined targets for 2014/15 and a number of key concerns were identified for policing as a whole.
With R2.884 billion in expenditure, crime intelligence achieved all its seven targets, matching performance and expenditure perfectly.
In terms of capacity building, 16 posts at brigadier level had been advertised, and 15 had been filled.
However there were concerns, which included whether service performance was accurately measured, as well as the use of informants and the amounts paid out to them.
A lack of capacity in the crime intelligence environment was also highlighted as a concern that had been “raised continuously”.
These findings were presented before the portfolio committee on police by its researcher, Nicolette van ZylGous, after the release of national crime statistics earlier this month.
The other police programmes include administration, visible policing, protection and security services, and detective services.
Detective services was found to be the worst performing programme, with only 60% of its targets achieved, while it achieved 100% of its R15.15-billion expenditure.
Targets not achieved, of which there were eight out of 20, included detection rates for serious crimes, trial-ready case dockets for serious crimes, and detection and conviction rates for serious crimes.
Success
However, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation – which falls within the detective services programme – had achieved a 100% success rate, as well as 100% expenditure.
Van Zyl-Gous discussed briefly protection and security services.
Here, 100% expenditure had been achieved, with only 83% of target success rate.
Of the 94 352 protection operations conducted, only one breach occurred “due to insufficient infrastructure”.
Van Zyl-Gous also made mention of a news report by a weekend newspaper on members of the protection services being abused by ministers.
According to the report, members were being made to work overtime and drive above the speed limit.
Van Zyl-Gous said the South African Police Union had confirmed numerous complainants in this regard.
Under visible policing, it was found that the programme had not achieved targets, including the reduction of a number of reported serious crimes by 2%, a reduction in the number of reported crimes against women by 2% and the 84.3% recovery rate of stolen or robbed firearms – only 73.1% had been achieved.
Some findings under administration included resignations, irregular expenditure and filling vacancies.
In 2014/15, there were 5 610 members who left the service, the majority of which were resignations – a total of 3 477.
The average time to fill such vacancies – and others – was 4.8 months, which meant administration was not finding its target of three months.
The programme had significantly reduced its irregular expenditure over the past couple of years. In 2014/15, it stood at R87 000.
Concerns identified were unequal ratio of performance to expenditure; insufficient “trickling down” of policies to station level; and lack of internal control at station level. – ANA