Abstract
The South African Police Service is often a target of criticism, more often than not stemming from heightened public emotions regarding the high levels of crime in South Africa. Using the concept of democratic policing as its basis, a recent assessment attempts to evaluate the SAPS against a set of 39 measures. Providing an organisation-wide view of the SAPS, the assessment highlights both positive and negative aspects of the SAPS, and provides a detailed set of recommendations. The assessment is intended to support democratic oversight of the police by directing attention towards the main issues that should be addressed by oversight bodies.
Highlights
The South African Police Service is often a target of criticism, more often than not stemming from heightened public emotions regarding the high levels of crime in South Africa
At home it often appears that the South African Police Service (SAPS) is at the receiving end of a constant stream of criticism
How do we account for these disparities? Should we elevate the views of a respected analyst such as Bayley above that of ordinary South Africans, or should public opinion be key to any assessments of the SAPS? And, given such significant differences in opinion on the SAPS, is there a need for a more balanced view?
Summary
The South African Police Service is often a target of criticism, more often than not stemming from heightened public emotions regarding the high levels of crime in South Africa. Using the concept of democratic policing as its basis, a recent assessment attempts to evaluate the SAPS against a set of 39 measures. At home it often appears that the South African Police Service (SAPS) is at the receiving end of a constant stream of criticism. Should we elevate the views of a respected analyst such as Bayley above that of ordinary South Africans, or should public opinion be key to any assessments of the SAPS? Origins of the assessment A recent assessment of the SAPS, undertaken by the Centre for the Study of Violence (CSVR), attempts to provide such a fair and balanced view. It dates back to a 2002 project focused on strengthening police accountability in South Africa; jointly initiated and funded by the Open Society Foundation for South Africa (OSFSA) and the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI)
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