Substance abuse is one of the most pervasive problems facing our nation, especially in the townships. Curbing this problem requires an integrated approach in which community stakeholders and society work together to improve safety by tackling the fundamental causes of criminality through mobilising state and non-state capacities and resources at all levels. This study seeks to assess the strategies and successes of community initiatives and circumstances that bestow on the path towards helping to fulfill the community’s aim to prevent and combat drug abuse. This study made use of a sample of 90 respondents 18 years and older who responded to the survey. A purposive sample of 10 staff members from the community-based organisations participated in oral interviews, while a simple random sample of 80 community members responded to questionnaires. Furthermore, secondary data sources were consulted to back up the claims that emerged from this study. While the study evaluated community strategies and documented some of the successes, including the rehabilitation of drug addicts, it also highlighted the lack of capacity of community organisations to make meaningful contributions in this regard. In particular, the lack of cooperation/collaboration and trust between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the community stakeholders is a cause for concern that may hinder any efforts to combat drug abuse. This study, therefore, highlights strategies that require a collective effort from government stakeholders.
This article explores the pervasiveness of employee absenteeism in the South African Police Service (SAPS) at the station level and the factors that contribute to it. Employee absenteeism is a critical problem for most organisations and the SAPS is no exception. While measures have been put in place to curb this problem in the SAPS by the police authorities, employee absenteeism has persisted and remains a significant problem for the SAPS in contemporary South Africa. A recent qualitative study, using a convenient sampling technique, found that absenteeism is not only prevalent, but has become entrenched within the SAPS, and that several institutional policies and privileges, such as sick, normal, and incapacity leave, are often abused for personal benefit. Absenteeism was found to be affected by ineffective communication between station commanders and employees. The implications of the findings for effective police efficiency in the country are discussed.
The growing threat of cybercrime poses significant challenges for police organizations. Due to the sophisticated methods used to commit cybercrime, the implementation and investigation of cybercrime have become more demanding and time-consuming. For the police to successfully investigate and punish acts of crime, it is necessary to know and understand the operations of the perpetrators. A qualitative research approach utilizing purposive sampling was adopted to explore the capacity of policing cybercrime in the study area. The findings collected through semi-structured interviews with eight key informants comprising of South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Intelligence Unit officials suggest that there is a limited cybercrime investigative expertise within the specialized investigation units, coupled with the cyber-elements that are part of almost every traditional crime investigation today, has caused a significant increase in the workload of cybercrime investigative units. The study also found a lack of corporation amongst relevant role-players to boost internal cybercrime investigative resources, resulting in capacity challenges in keeping up with the workload. In addition, as the study showed, the lack of a clear legal framework makes it difficult to investigate and prosecute crimes committed with the Internet, as the authorities are forced to rely on the Criminal Procedure Law. The recommendations are presented as a potential step to developing educational packages and awareness programs to provide at-risk groups with effective mechanisms to protect themselves from cybercrime.
Social media is considered a double-edged sword, with both positive and negative effects. A qualitative research approach was adopted to explore the extent to which and the ways in which South African police use social media in the study area. The findings were collected through semi-structured interviews with 22 participants comprising the South African Police Service (SAPS) officials in the Giyani Cluster policing area. The findings indicate that criminals in the Limpopo Province use social media to commit crimes in the country, other countries in Africa, and elsewhere. The findings also indicate that social media is used to bring positive attention to law enforcement agencies and aid in criminal investigations. Although the positive impact of social media was highlighted in these experiences, persistent problems and challenges also featured in the data. Finally, officer insights were drawn upon to make recommendations for future policing policy and research. This paper concludes that social media as a tool can be utilised in terms of data gathering, prediction and spotting broader patterns, for combating organised crime by the SAPS.
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