An assessment of the processing of crime scenes by detectives in informal settlements in Gauteng

Abstract

A criminal investigation begins with the processing of the crime scene, which has to be properly protected against any form of contamination to the evidence. The success of a criminal investigation depends on its proper identification, protection, and isolation in order to secure it by restricting access and preventing evidence from being contaminated and destroyed. It is against this backdrop that the study was undertaken with the aim of assessing the processing of serious crime scenes by detectives in informal settlements. It is on the basis of the study’s findings that recommendations were proposed for improved and viable procedures regarding the processing of serious crime scenes in these settlements. Guided by its preferred constructivist research paradigm, the study adopted a qualitative research approach and its case study design to explore, describe and analyse the applicable trends, patterns and practices/ approaches applied by detectives in the selected informal settlements when processing complex and restricted cases. A non-probability purposive/ judgement sampling strategy was utilised for the selection of a total sample size of 35 participants, comprising 18 SAPS detectives and 15 LCRC members at the selected Gauteng Province Brigadier police stations, as well as two senior international police officers. Data collection was facilitated by means of semi-structured in-depth interviews which the researched personally conducted with the selected detectives attached to the selected Brigadier police stations, as well as the selected South African Police Service members attached to the selected 4 (four) Local Criminal Record Centre Units in Gauteng Province. Additionally, online interviews were conducted with selected senior detective officers from two African countries experiencing the same problem of processing of serious crime scenes by detectives in informal settlements. Thematic data analysis and content analysis were applied in the development of the findings, which then revealed the following five themes: training and involvement in processing of serious crime scenes; current method on processing serious crime scenes in suburban-and informal settlement areas; infrastructural-and environmental physical conditions that affect serious crime scenes in suburban- and informal settlement areas; practicality and adequateness of the saps policy on crime scene management in informal settlements; and suggestions for improvement on the effectiveness in processing serious crime scenes in informal settlements. It was on the basis of these five developed themes that the study developed conceptual standard operational procedure guidelines on the processing of serious crime scenes in informal settlement areas. In the context of the research aim and objectives, these guidelines are viewed as the study’s significant contribution in the field of crime scene processing in informal settlement areas.

’n Strafregtelike ondersoek begin met die prosessering van die misdaadtoneel en sodanige misdaadtoneel moet behoorlik teen enige vorm van kontaminasie van bewyse beskerm word. Die sukses van ’n strafregtelike ondersoek hang af van die behoorlike identifikasie, beskerming en isolasie daarvan ten einde dit te beveilig deur toegang te beperk en te voorkom dat bewyse gekontamineer of vernietig word. Dit is teen hierdie agtergrond dat die studie onderneem is met die doel om speurders se prosessering van ernstige misdaadtonele in informele nedersettings te assesseer. Op grond van die studie se bevindinge word aanbevelings gemaak vir verbeterde en haalbare prosedures vir die prosessering van ernstige misdaadtonele in hierdie nedersettings. Gelei deur sy konstruktiwistiese navorsingsparadigma van voorkeur, het die studie ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering en gevallestudie-ontwerp aangeneem om die toepaslike tendense, patrone en praktyke/benaderings te ondersoek, beskryf en ontleed wat deur speurders in die geselekteerde informele nedersettings toegepas word wanneer hulle komplekse gevalle met beperkte toegang prosesseer. ’n Niewaarskynlikheids- doelbewuste/oordeelsteekproefstrategie is vir die keuse van ’n totale steekproefgrootte van 35 deelnemers gebruik. Die deelnemersteekproef het bestaan uit 18 SAPD speurders en 15 lede van die plaaslike kriminelerekordsentrum (LCRC) van die geselekteerde Gauteng provinsie Brigadier polisiestasies, sowel as twee senior internasionale polisiebeamptes. Datainsameling is deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde, diepgaande onderhoude gefasiliteer. Die navorser het persoonlik die onderhoude met die geselekteerde speurders van die Brigadier polisiestasies gevoer, sowel as met die geselekteerde Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens-lede verbonde aan die vier (4) gekose plaaslike kriminelerekordsentrum-eenhede in die Gauteng provinsie. Daarbenewens is aanlynonderhoude gevoer met geselekteerde senior speurbeamptes uit twee Afrika-lande wat dieselfde probleem met speurders se prosessering van ernstige misdaadtonele in informele nedersettings ervaar. Tematiese data-ontleding en inhoudontleding is met die ontwikkeling van die bevindinge toegepas en die volgende vyf temas is blootgelê: opleiding en betrokkenheid by die prosessering van ernstige misdaadtonele; huidige metode in die prosessering van ernstige misdaadtonele in voorstedelike gebiede en informele nedersettings; infrastrukturele en fisiese omgewingstoestande wat ernstige misdaad in voorstedelike gebiede en informele nedersettings affekteer; praktiesheid en voldoendenheid van die SAPD-beleid ten opsigte van misdaadtoneelbestuur in informele nedersettings; en voorstelle vir verbetering van die doeltreffendheid van die prosessering van ernstige misdaadtonele in informele nedersettings. Dit is op grond van hierdie vyf temas wat ontwikkel is, dat die studie riglyne vir konseptuele, standaard bedryfsprosedures ontwikkel het om ernstige misdaadtonele in informele nedersettings te prosesseer.

Patlisiso ya bosenyi e simolola ka go samagana le lefelo la bosenyi, le le tshwanetseng go sirelediwa sentle kgatlhanong le kgotlhelego epe ya bosupi. Katlego ya patlisiso ya bosenyi e ikaegile ka tshupo, tshireletso, le tlhaolo ya lefelo la bosenyi gore le sirelediwe ka go lekanyetsa motsamao le go tila gore bosupi bo kgotlhelege le go senngwa. Ke ka moo go dirilweng thutopatlisiso eno ka maikaelelo a go sekaseka tsela e babatlisisi ba kwa mafelong a baipei ba samaganang le mafelo a bosenyi jo bo tseneletseng ka yona. Go dirilwe dikatlenegiso tsa dithulaganyo tse di botoka le tse di dirisegang malebana le go samagana le mafelo a bosenyi jo bo tseneletseng mo mafelong ano, go ikaegilwe ka diphitlhelelo tsa thutopatlisiso. E kaelwa ke pharataeme e e itlhophetsweng ya kago, thutopatlisiso e tsere molebo wa patlisiso ya khwalitatifi le thadiso ya yona ya thutopatlisiso ya tobiso go tlhotlhomisa, go tlhalosa le go lokolola mekgwa e e maleba, dipaterone le ditiragatso/melebo e e diriswang ke babatlisisi mo mafelong a a tlhophilweng a baipei fa ba samagana le dikgetse tse di marara le tse di nang le ditekanyetso. Go dirisitswe togamaano ya go tlhopha sampole e e sa neeleng batsayakarolo seabe se se tshwanang go tlhopha sampole ya batsayakarolo ba le 35, e le babatlisisi ba SAPS ba le 18 le ditokololo tsa LCRC di le 15 kwa diteišeneng tsa sepodisi tsa Porofense ya Gauteng, gammogo le batlhankedibagolwane ba sepodisi ba boditšhabatšhaba ba le babedi. Kokoanyo ya datha e dirilwe ka dipotsolotso tse di tseneletseng tse di dirilweng ke mmatlisisi ka boene le babatlisisi ba ba kwa diteišeneng tse di tlhophilweng tsa mapodisi, gammogo le ditokololo tse di tlhophilweng tsa Tirelo ya Sepodisi sa Aforikaborwa tse di kwa Diyuniting tse nne (4) tsa Tikwatikwe ya Direkoto tsa Bosenyi tsa Selegae tse di tlhophilweng kwa Porofenseng ya Gauteng. Go tlaleletsa foo, go nnile le dipotsolotso tsa mo maranyaneng le batlhankedibagolwane ba dipatlisiso ba le babedi go tswa kwa dinageng di le pedi tsa Aforika tse di itemogelang bothata jo bo tshwanang le jo jwa babatlisisi ba ba samaganang le mafelo a bosenyi jo bo tseneletseng mo mafelong a baipei. Go dirisitswe tokololo ya datha ka merero le tokololo ya diteng go bona diphitlhelelo, tse di senotseng merero e metlhano e e latelang: katiso le go nna le seabe mo go samaganeng le mafelo a bosenyi jo bo tseneletseng; mekgwa ya ga jaana ya go samagana le mafelo a bosenyi jo bo tseneletseng mo metsesetoropong le mo mafelong a baipei; seemo sa mafaratlhatlha le tikologo se se amang mafelo a bosenyi jo bo tseneletseng mo metsesetoropong le mo mafelong a baipei; nonofo ya pholisi ya SAPS e e malebana le tsamaiso ya lefelo la bosenyi mo mafelong a baipei; le ditshitshinyo malebana le tokafatso ya nonofo ya go samagana le mafelo a bosenyi jo bo tseneletseng mo mafelong a baipei. Go lebeletswe merero eno e metlhano e e tlhamilweng, thutopatlisiso e tlhamile tsamaiso e e rileng ya tiro e e malebana le go samagana le mafelo a bosenyi jo bo tseneletseng mo mafelong a baipei. Mo bokaelong jwa maikaelelo a patlisiso, kaedi eno e tsewa e le kakgelo ya botlhokwa ya thutopatlisiso mo lephateng la go samagana le mafelo a bosenyi mo mafelong a baipei.