An exploration of the operational functioning of the South African Police Service Crime Information Management and Analysis Centre

Abstract

Crime is one of the most topical issues in contemporary society, and South Africa is not immune in this regard. Police have for ages developed strategies and techniques to address crime. However, these strategies were unsuccessful in addressing or at least, reducing crime. Notwithstanding that crime analysis has been introduced to police organisations, there seems to be a challenge that the police organisations fail to use crime analysis and its products in the fight against crime. Realisation of such failure prompted the researcher to conduct this study with the aim of exploring, describing and analysing the operational station-level functioning of the Crime Information Management and Analysis Centre (CIMAC) within the South African Police Service (SAPS) organisational system and structures in order to identify the shortcomings thereof; and subsequently developing a framework of recommendations to enhance the efficient functioning of CIMAC. The current study has adopted the pure qualitative research approach, which resonates with the anti-positivist philosophical paradigm and case study designs. Accordingly, data was collected sequentially through an extensive review of literature and followed with the semi-structured interviews. The review of literature was broadened beyond the local context and included a comparative study with sampled international police agencies. Both national and international literature were reviewed to obtain information and gain an in-depth understanding regarding crime information management and analysis and the role of crime analysts. During the research, extensive interviews were conducted with SAPS CIMAC members and CIMAC clients at station level, as well as members of the Crime Registrar at the provincial and national levels. International participants were also interviewed in this study to obtain international perspectives of the problem being researched. Various objectives were fulfilled in this study:  To explore and describe the meaning of crime information analysis within the SAPS;  To explore and describe the use of crime information analysis within the SAPS;  To explore and describe the role and functioning of the Crime Information Management and Analysis Centre (CIMAC);  To explore and describe the use of crime information management and analysis within the SAPS;  To determine the role of CIMAC in crime reduction and prevention;  To explore and describe international practices relating to the use of crime information analysis; and  To develop practical guidelines, procedures and recommendations for the successful use of CIMACs within the SAPS. The researcher is of the opinion that this study and its results provide the framework and a regime of scientifically informed propositions and recommendations that could be applied by the relevant SAPS policymakers to improve CIMAC’s operational functioning on the basis of a credible and reliable research-based investigation. Finally, this study also contributes to the foundation of knowledge, with regard to the operational functioning of CIMAC at the police station level.

Misdaad is een van die mees aktuele aangeleenthede in ons eietydse samelewing en Suid-Afrika is allermins immuun teen misdaad. Die polisie het oor die jare heen strategieë en tegnieke ontwikkel om misdaad teë te werk. Hierdie strategieë is egter onsuksesvol om misdaad aan te pak, of dan minstens te verminder. Ten spyte van die instel van misdaadontleding by polisie-organisasies blyk dit dat dit ’n uitdaging vir polisie-organisasies is om misdaadontleding en sy produkte in die stryd teen misdaad te gebruik. Die besef van hierdie mislukking het die navorser genoop om hierdie studie te doen ten einde die operasionele stasievlakfunksionering van die Misdaadinligtingsbestuur- en Ontledingsentrum (Crime Information Management and Analysis Centre – CIMAC) in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD) se organisatoriese stelsel en strukture te ondersoek, te beskryf en te ontleed om die tekortkominge daarvan te identifiseer; en daarna ’n raamwerk met aanbevelings te ontwikkel om die doeltreffende funksionering van CIMAC te verbeter. Hierdie studie het die suiwer kwalitatiewe benadering gebruik, wat aanklank vind by die anti-positivistiese filosofiese paradigma en gevallestudie-ontwerpe. Die data is derhalwe sekwensieel deur middel van ’n uitgebreide hersiening van literatuur, met behulp van halfgestruktureerde onderhoude, ingesamel. Die oorsig van die literatuur is uitgebrei om meer as net die plaaslike konteks te omvat en het ’n vergelykende studie met bestudeerde internasionale polisie-agentskappe ingesluit. Nasionale sowel as internasionale literatuur is hersien om inligting te bekom en diepgaande begrip oor misdaadinligtingsbestuur en -ontleding en die rol van misdaadontleders te verseker. Tydens die navorsing is omvattende onderhoude met SAPD-CIMAC-lede en CIMAC-klante op stasievlak, asook met lede van die Misdaadregistrateur op provisiale en nasionale vlak, gevoer. Onderhoude is ook in hierdie studie met internasionale deelnemers gevoer om internasionale perspektiewe van die probleem wat nagevors is, te bekom. Verskeie oogmerke is met hierdie studie bereik:  Om die betekenis van misdaadinligtingsontleding in die SAPD te ondersoek en te beskryf;  Om die gebruik van misdaadinligtingsontleding in die SAPD te ondersoek en te beskryf;  Om die rol en funksionering van die Misdaadinligtingsbestuur- en Ontledingsentrum (CIMAC) te ondersoek en te beskryf;  Om die gebruik van misdaadinligtingsbestuur en -ontleding in die SAPD te ondersoek en te beskryf;  Om die rol van CIMAC by misdaadvermindering en -voorkoming vas te stel;  Om internasionale praktyke wat verband hou met die gebruik van misdaadinligtingsontleding te ondersoek en te beskryf; en  Om praktiese riglyne, prosedures en aanbevelings vir die suksesvolle gebruik van CIMACs in die SAPD te ontwikkel. Die navorser is van mening dat hierdie studie en sy resultate die raamwerk en ’n regime van wetenskaplik-ingeligte voorstelle en aanbevelings daarstel wat toegepas kan word by die relevante SAPD-beleidmakers om CIMAC se operasionele funksionering op grond van ’n geloofwaardige en betroubare navorsingsgebaseerde ondersoek te verbeter. Ten slotte het hierdie studie ook bygedra tot die kennisfondasie wat betref die operasionele funksionering van CIMAC op polisiestasievlak.

Vhutshinyi ndi tshiṅwe tsha fhungo la ndeme kha tshitshavha tsha zwino, nahone Afrika Tshipembe na lone a lo ngo tsireledzea kha izwi. Lwa tshifhinga tshilapfu mapholisa vho bveledza maga na ndila dza kushumele u itela u tandulula mafhungo aya a vhutshinyi. Fhedziha, maga ayo ha ngo kona u swikelela kha u tandulula kana u tou fhungudza zwao vhugevhenga. Naho thathuvho dza mafhungo a zwa vhutshinyi na dzone dzo thoma u shumiswa kha zwiimiswa zwa mapholisa, hu sumbedza u vha na khaedu ya uri zwiimiswa zwa mapholisa zwi khou kundelwa u shumisa thathuvho dza vhutshinyi na tshomedzo dzavho u lwa na vhutshinyi. U vhona u kundelwa uho, zwo tutuwedza u ita ngudo iyi ndivho i ya u wana, u talusa na u thathuvha kushumele kha khethekanyo ya tshititshi ha sisteme na tshivhumbeo tsha tshiimiswa tsha Senthara ya Thathuvho na Ndaulo ya Mafhungo a zwa Vhutshinyi ‘Crime Information Management and Analysis Centre’ (CIMAC) nga ngomu ha Tshumelo ya Mapholisa ya Afrika Tshipembe (SAPS) u itela u lingedza u wana vhutudzetudze, na u bveledza mutheo wa themendelo u itela u engedza kushumele kwo leluwaho kwa CIMAC. Ngudo ya zwino i khou shumisa ndila ya khwalithethivi fhedzi, ine ya tendelana na ndila ya filosofi ya thalutshedzo/i sa shumisi saintsi kha ngudo ya tshitshavha na u shumisa ngudo nga nyimele. Zwenezwo, data yo kuvhanganywa nga u tevhekana nga kha tsedzuluso ya maṅwalwa yo tandavhuwaho na u tevhelwa nga u shumisa mbudziso dzi songo tou dzudzanywaho tshothe. Tsedzuluso ya maṅwalo yo tandavhudzwa ya bva kha vhupo hapo na u katela ngudo dza mbamedzo nga u ita sambula dza mazhendedzi a mapholisa a mashango a nnda. Ho sedzuluswa maṅwalo a fhano hayani na a mashango a nnda vhuvhili hao u itela u wana zwidodombedzwa na u wana vhudzivha ha kupfesesele maelana na thathuvho na ndaulo ya mafhungo a vhutshinyi na mushumo wa vhathathuvhi vha vhutshinyi. Nga tshifhinga tsha thodisiso, ho vhudziswa mbudziso dzo tandavhuwaho vhukuma na mirado ya CIMAC ya SAPS na vhashumelwa vha CIMAC afho zwititshini, khathihi na mirado ya ofisi ya Vhunwaleli ha zwa Vhutshiyi ‘Crime Registra’ kha khethekanyo dza vundu na dza lushaka. Vhadzheneleli vha mashango a nnda na vhone vho vhudziswa mbudziso kha ngudo iyi u itela u wana mbonalo ya mashango a nnda kha thaidzo ine ya khou itwa thodisiso nga hayo. Ho kona u swikelelwa zwipikwa zwo fhambanaho kha ngudo iyi: •U wana na u talutshedza zwine thathuvho ya mafhuno a zwa vhutshinyi zwa amba zwone kha SAPS; •U wana na u talutshedza tshumiso ya thathuvho ya mafhungo a zwa vhutshinyi kha SAPS; •U wana na u talutshedza mushumo na kushumele kwa Senthara ya Thathuvho na Ndaulo ya Mafhungo a zwa Vhutshinyi (CIMAC); •U wana na u talutshedza tshumiso ya thathuvho na ndaulo ya mafhungo a zwa vhutshinyi kha SAPS; •U wana mushumo wa CIMAC kha u fhungudza na u thivhela vhutshinyi; •U wana na u talutshedza maitele a mashango a nnda maelana na tshumiso ya thathuvho ya mafhungo a zwa vhutshinyi; na •U bveledza tsumbandila, maitele, na themendelo dzi shumiseaho u itela tshumiso i vhuedzaho ya dziCIMAC kha SAPS. Mutodisisi u khou dzinginya uri ngudo iyi na mvelelo dzayo zwi ṋetshedze mutheo na nzudzanyo dza zwo dzinginywaho zwi tshi tevhedza saintsi na themendelo dzine dza nga shumiswa nga vhaiti vha mbekanyamaitele vha SAPS u itela u khwinisa kushumele kwa mishumo kha dziCIMAC zwo disendeka nga tsedzuluso yo ditikaho nga thodisiso ine ya tendisea. Tsha u fhedzisela, ngudo iyi i do vha ya vhuedza kha mutheo wa ndivho maelana na kushumele kwa mishumo kha CIMAC kha khethekanyo ya tshititshi tsha mapholisa.