MEC NOMANDLA BLOEM
LAUNCH: POLICE STATION CENSUS
08 MAY 2023
Programme Director
Northern Cape Police Commissioner Lt Gen Koliswa Otola
CPF Leadership
[Insert dignitaries]
We are here today to embark on a very special programme. All of us live in communities where crime is a reality. From one space to another the nature of crime differs, however, for us, in this country, we are almost always sure we will find elevated levels of gender-based violence.
One could go into long conversations and analyses about where this comes from – why is it that our general population are so prone to hurt those vulnerable in society? We know there is a direct correlation between crime and poverty, joblessness, inequality and substance abuse. We must, however, also take into consideration socio-cultural aspects with regards to dominance, masculinity and our particular history if we want to colour the reason why violence communicates so starkly what women and children are thought of in our homes.
So, being cognisant of all these dynamics, our question here today is – do we have a police service capable and equipped to positively and effectively receive process and deal with realities of a violent society?
Our starting point must thus always be to find out if this is so. The Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (CSPS) in collaboration with the Provincial Secretariats will conduct police station monitoring visits in order to assess regulatory compliance and execution of the Domestic Violence Act (DVA). The guideline document provides the standard process that must be followed in order to give account of the duties, obligations and responsibilities for the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act Monitoring Tool.
The purpose of the Census project is to collect reliable, accurate and comprehensive data on South African Police Service (SAPS) performance, to identify best practices, to generate reliable knowledge on performance and, as a result, enhance performance.
We also want to evaluate compliance with respective legal frameworks and requirements at all police stations. The results of the Census will be used to inform decisions regarding planning, enforcement and policy. We will include full-fledged police stations, but not satellite stations or contact points.
The focus will thus be on our 91 police stations in the province with the process ending 31 October 2023. This process also has the added advantage to strengthen relations between SAPS and the CSPS.
Breaking it down we will look at visible policing, detective services, support services like Human Resource Management and Supply Chain Management. Provincial Secretariats will visit stations to collect data, which will then be submitted to CSPS.
This means that the CSPS will be responsible for capturing of all tools. Consolidated data per province will be shared to all provinces by January 2024. National will compile a summative and comparative analysis report, reflecting of police performance nationwide. Out of this report the Provincial Secretariat will identify 25% of the police stations for monitoring each year.
Station Management must ensure they are available on the date of the census and make the necessary preparations to ensure the census runs smoothly. We thus count on the cooperation and willingness of all parties involved so we develop true and full pictures of situations and stations.
I believe this is a step in the right direction. One cannot know and understand how to improve a situation if we do not know what is happening on the ground. Our call for support, presence and commitment to this process is thus of ultimate importance.
I thank you
