A pro-active policing approach to residential burglaries: A study of Qwa-Qwa policing area, Free State Province.
Khene, Shadrack Thabo
Khene, Shadrack Thabo
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Abstract
In recent years, the South African Police Service (SAPS), has experienced increasing levels of burglaries at residential premises in the Qwa-qwa policing area, Free State Province. In South Africa (SA), property-related crimes are very high, especially burglaries at residential premises. The South African Police Service (SAPS) statistics has indicated that residential burglary in the Qwa-qwa policing area, Makwane police station has been increasing annually for the past 9 years beginning in 2010 to 2019. The study seeks to develop the best practices to be employed by the local SAPS in reducing the high rate of burglaries at residential premises. In addition to that, the study recommends methods that will improve the relationship between the community and the police in crime prevention and the fight against crime. This research was carried out utilising a qualitative research approach with twenty-four (24) semi-structured interviews with participants comprising of SAPS members, Free State traffic officers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and business relevant community members to obtain their views and experiences. A purposive non-probability sampling technique was applied because this type of sampling is regarded as the most appropriate type of non-probability sampling for this study. The challenges participants perceived and/or had encountered when identifying root causes of burglaries at residential premises were explored through in-depth interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The main findings highlighted that the relevant stakeholders, particularly local the SAPS, do not have a clear strategy to combat and/or reduce burglaries at residential premises in the Qwa-qwa Policing Area. In addition to that, the study reveals that only four crime prevention unit officers were patrolling the entire Qwa-qwa policing area, from Thursday to Sunday and it was further discovered that the patrol was not conducted between Monday to Wednesday when most cases of burglaries at residential premises are committed. The findings also highlighted that lack of capacity, resources, infrastructure and training contribute to the high rate of residential burglaries in the Qwa-qwa policing area. The findings highlighted that the Qwa-qwa policing area does not have the capacity to deal with burglaries at residential premises that are committed in their policing area and to respond to citizens` calls. The findings indicated that personnel shortage is a huge problem in the Qwa-qwa police stations, one shift is run by five to six members. In addition to that, the stations have only six detectives investigating all cases that are reported in their police station, and they also do not have a sufficient number of vehicles to conduct patrol and respond to incidents that are committed in their policing area.
Based on the findings, this study recommends that current police strategies need to be improved, models of policing need to be implemented correctly and monitored. This can decrease crime, especially burglaries at residential premises in the Qwa-qwa policing area. The approach strategies like community policing structures, including Community Police Forums (CPFs), community patrollers, neighbourhood watch, and sector policing should be improved and implemented correctly.
Description
Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Policing in the Department of Safety and Security Management, Faculty of Humanities at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Date
2021-10-01
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
Community policing, Community police forums, Sector policing, Crime prevention, Burglaries, Burglaries at residential premises, Police strategies