The role of metropolitan police department in crime prevention : case study from Gauteng

Abstract

This study examined the role of metropolitan police service (MPS) in crime prevention in Gauteng metropolitan municipalities. The findings of this study could guide the authorities such as legislature, administration, society and business cooperate on how to support the police in reducing anticipated crime threats by exploring metro police division within the metropolitan cities. The findings will further help metro police officers implement crime prevention concepts as they are new security services in South Africa and Africa at large. The research methodology used in this study were a mixed method consisting of quantitative and qualitative. A total of 45 metropolitan police officers on the senior management level of Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD), Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) and Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) were interviewed in the study. Further 160 survey questionnaires were completed by selected respondents at operational level from all three municipalities in Gauteng. The study intended to attain the following: • to outline the obstacles that hamper effective crime prevention, reduction and combating by metro police officers in Gauteng Province; • to investigate the effectiveness of the laws regulating the MPD in South Africa and determine the shortcomings relating to MPS in combating and preventing crime; • to investigate different functions being provided by MPS that could be effective in preventing crime in Gauteng Province; • to investigate powers and responsibilities required by metro police officers to be effective in crime combating; • to identify required resources and training that could effectively assist metro police officers in performing crime prevention role in the Gauteng Province; and • to provide recommendations based on research findings for the better crime prevention and policing theory/model to deal with crime holistically between metro police divisions, South Africana Police Service (SAPS), private security industry and other law enforcement agencies in and out of the Gauteng Province. Based on the empirical findings, recommendations were drafted that, hopefully, will assist TMPD, EMPD and JMPD to improve in their crime prevention function. It will also, hopefully, contribute towards the introduction and conclusion into the innovation of new policing perceptions, initiatives and notions in preventing crime by using metro police officers within the metropolitan cities. The conclusion of this study will make significant contribution into the functioning of the metro police service, society and other law enforcement agencies with technical expertise to serve the intended policing purpose. It will further make aware of the contributing factors hampering effective crime prevention role and the recommendations outlining how these factors could be resolved. Above all, the study will also educate other academics with the necessary knowledge to help improve understanding of the role of metro police services. The findings may also be infused in the study guides of security management science to help academics to understand better role of metro police officers in crime combating, reduction and prevention in Gauteng Province of South Africa.

Dinyakisiso tse di sekasekile maphodisa a masepala gahlano le bosenyi mo dimasepaleng tsa mo kgaolong ya Gauteng. Dipoelo tsa dinyakisiso tse di ka hlahla babusi ba go tshwana le lekgotlatheramolao, batsamaisi, setshaba le beng dikgwebo go thusana le maphodisa kgahlano le matshosetsi a bosenyi mo lefapheng la maphodisa a masepala mo ditoropong-kgolo. Gape gape, dipoelo tsa dinyakisiso tse di ka fahlolla maphodisa a masepala go thakgola mananeo a go thibela bosenyi bjalo ka basireletsi ba baswa mo Afrika Borwa le Afrika ka bophara. Dinyakisiso tse di tseere lemanoga la go hlakantsha ya dipalopalo le ditshisinyo tsa dipolelo go tswa go batseakarolo. Maphodisa a masepala a masomennehlano (45) ao le lego maemong a taolo a ilwe a kgethwa go tsea karolo dinyakisisong tse go tswa Lefapheng la Maphodisa a Masepala ditoropong tse tharo mo Gauteng – Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg moo monyakisisi a ileng a ba botsisa dipotsiso. Batseakarolo ba bangwe e bile ba maphodisa a masepala a maemo a fase ba lekgolo masome tshela (160) go tswa ditoropong tse di kgolo tse tharo mo Gauteng. Dinyakisiso tse di be di ikemiseditse go fihlelela tse di latelago: • Go utulla mapheko ao a thibelago twantsho le phokotso ya bosenyi ka maphodisa a masepala mo Gauteng; • Go tsitsinkela maatla a melao yeo e busang mapodisa a masepala mo Afrika Borwa le go utulla mafakodi ka maphodisa a masepala go lwantsha le go fedisa bosenyi; • Go fatolla ditirirelo tse di fapaneng mafapheng a maphodisa a masepala go ba le katlego mo go lwantsheng bosenyi; • Go fatolla maatla le maikarabelo ao maphodisa a masepala a tshwanetsego goba le ona mo twantshong ya bosenyi;

• Go budologa mahlo khumanegong ya disumiswa le tlhatlho yeo e ka thusang maphodisa a masepala go dira mesomo ya bona ka botswerere mabadi le go lwantsha bosenyi mo Gauteng. • Go tla ka maele ao a tliswang ke dinyakisiso tsa go kaonafatsa twantsho ya bosenyi ka botlalo magareng ga maphodisa a masepala, Tirelo ya Bophodisa mo Afrika Borwa, lefapheng leo le ikemetseng la tshireletso, le makgotla a mangwe a semolao ka gare le kantle ga Afrika Borwa. Go latela dipoelo, maele a ile a ngwalwa ka tshepho ya gore a tla thusa dimasepala tse tse tharo go lwantsha bosenyi. Go lebeletswe gore dipoelo tse di tla ba le karolo go tliseng mekgwa ye meswa mo sephodiseng le go lwantshana le bosenyi mo ditoropong-kgolo mabapi le mokgwa wo maphodisa a masepala, setshaba le mafapheng ka moka a tshireletso le go lwantsha bosenyi gore di dire mosomo wa bona ka botswerere bjo bogolo. Dipoelo tsa dinyakisiso tse di tla ba le seabe mo go lemogeng mapheko ao a sitisang go lwantsha bosenyi le go fa maele go rarabolla pharela ye ya bosenyi. Dinyakisiso tse di tla ruta le bafahlusi ka tsebo ya maleba go thusa go ba le kwisiso le phurollo ya monagano mabapi le maphodisa a masepala. Dipoelo tsa dinyakisiso tse di ka thusa le go hlahla baithuti bjalo ka padi ya tlhatlho lefapheng la botsebi ba ditshireletso go phurulla menagano ya bona go matlafatsa maphodisa a masepala ka tsebo ya go lwantsa, go fokotsa le go fedisa bosenyi mo Afrika Borwa le mafaseng a mangwe.