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This presentation provides an overview of the inspections conducted by the Public Service Commission on the detective services in the Department of Police. It includes key findings, recommendations, and information on personnel training, availability of resources, and operational duties.
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PRESENTATION ON THE CONSOLIDATED REPORT ON INSPECTIONS OF DETECTIVE SERVICES: DEPARTMENT OF POLICE THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE 05 SEPTEMBER 2012
PSC DELEGATION • Ms Phumelele Nzimande, PSC Commissioner and leader of the delegation. • Mr David Mkhwanazi, PSC Commissioner. • Ms Irene Mathenjwa, Chief Director: Service Delivery and Compliance Evaluations. • MsNoziphiwoGwaza, Deputy Director: Parliamentary Officer.
OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATION • INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND • AIMS AND OBJECTIVES • SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY • KEY FINDINGS: DETECTIVE SERVICES • KEY FINDINGS: FORENSIC SCIENCE LABORATORIES • RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND • The Public Service Commission (PSC) is mandated to promote the values and principles set out in Section 195 of the Constitution, and to propose measures to ensure effective and efficient performance within the Public Service. • Accordingly, the PSC Act, 1997 provides that “the Commission may inspect departments and other organizational components in the Public Service and has access to such official documents or may obtain such information from Heads of those departments or organizational components as may be necessary for the performance of the functions of the Commission under the Constitution or the Public Service Act”. • Amongst government's priorities and outcomes is the fight against crime. Therefore, in 2010/2011, the PSC conducted inspections in the Department of Police focusing on the detective services.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF INSPECTIONS • The broad aim of the inspection was to evaluate the role of detective services in the fight against crime, thus assessing the quality of services rendered to the public, the state of the facilities and the conditions at the service delivery sites. • The specific objectives of these inspections were: • To gather first-hand information on the nature and functioning of the detective services at Police stations. • To assess the capacity of the detective services at the Police stations to carry out their functions. • To determine the challenges detective services experience in combating crime and the impact thereof.
SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY • The inspections were conducted at the National Head Office (Detective Services) of the Department of Police as well as selected 33 police stations in all nine provinces (both urban and rural). • Follow-up inspections were conducted at the Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs) of the Department of Police and Department of Health. • Only announced inspections were conducted, led by PSC Commissioners. • The following themes were used for collecting data in line with the objectives of the inspections: • Personnel training of detective officers. • Availability of resources to undertake detective services. • Operational duties of detective services. • Stakeholder liaison of detective services.
KEY FINDINGS: DETECTIVE SERVICES • PERSONNEL TRAINING OF DETECTIVE OFFICERS • Whilst most Detective Officers (DOs) were trained on the Basic Detective Learning Programme, it was found that some were not exposed to this training. Opportunities for up-skilling were found to be limited. • Of the 25 000 DOs, 4 845 had not been trained on the Detective Learning Programme. • In 11 police stations, DOs were not adequately trained on use of computer programmes related to detective services. • Only 1 DO from a police station can attend training courses in a three months cycle, making training difficult to access. • This contributes to low detection rate and compromises successful prosecution of suspects.
KEY FINDINGS: DETECTIVE SERVICES cont… • AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES • A Resource Allocation Guide (RAG) is used. However, due to budgetary constraints, resources were not allocated according to RAG. • 70% of the police stations did not have sufficient DOs. Lack of career progression led to DOs pursuing careers in other units of the Police Department. • 48.5% of the police stations did not have sufficient computers (1:3). In some police stations computers were still in boxes or not linked to the mainframe. • 24% of the police stations did not have sufficient vehicles (1:2). Allocated vehicles did not suit the terrain of the police stations, crime scenes were sometimes reached after two hours drive and often evidence was tampered with. • Poor service from SAPS government garage.
KEY FINDINGS: DETECTIVE SERVICES cont… • Disparity on the state of resources between what is available at police stations and records held at the National Head Office. • In some instances, RAG recommended additional resources whereas police stations seemed to have sufficient resources. • OPERATIONAL DUTIES OF DETECTIVE OFFICERS • There was a common understanding on managing crime scenes. However, Head Office indicated that often, there is non-adherence to the required procedures. • There was a common understanding on docket management. However, the following challenges were experienced due to non-adherence thereof: • Crime Administration System (CAS) was not regularly updated. • Checklists for case dockets were not properly completed by DOs. • Court ready cases were not quality controlled by senior DOs prior to the trial date. • Key witnesses were given wrong dates to appear in court.
KEY FINDINGS: DETECTIVE SERVICES cont… • Measures were put in place in most police stations to protect evidence and exhibits. However, few police stations did not have fridges to store blood samples. • Key challenges facing DOs in their operational duties included the following: • Lack of coordination within the Criminal Justice Cluster. • Long drawn out process of prosecution. • Lack of integrated information system. • STAKEHOLDER LIAISON OF DETECTIVE SERVICES • Cooperation between DOs and Local Criminal Record Centre. • Whilst in almost all police stations there were challenges with the Health FSL, others were of the view that challenges were also experienced with the Police FSL. (PSC conducted special inspections to authenticate this finding). • .
KEY FINDINGS: DETECTIVE SERVICES cont… • Cooperation between DOs and prosecutors. • Community members were contacted via the SMS bundles • MONITORING AND EVALUATION • A disparity was established on the number of charges laid, charges taken to court, charges withdrawn before they were referred to court, charges closed undetected and false charges.
KEY FINDINGS: FORENSIC SCIENCE LABORATORIES • FSL OF POLICE • The FSL has implemented a turn around strategy to improve service delivery and was equipped with resources such as budget, vehicles and necessary machinery for forensic activities. The following were challenges experienced with DOs. • DOs took long to submit request for analysis. • Non-submission of reference material delayed DNA results. • Reports were not collected for submission to court. • Reports were lost by DOs, thus duplicate copies were requested. • The findings and in loco observations contradicted earlier findings obtained at police stations.
KEY FINDINGS: FORENSIC SCIENCE LABORATORIES cont… • FSL OF HEALTH • Shortage of human resources, vacant posts, staff not trained and staff worked on rotational basis, which was disruptive. • Outdated machinery, lack of vehicles, storage facility for samples not sufficient. • State of the FSL fails the Dos in their duties and the justice system due to delayed reports which are required in court to finalise cases.
RECOMMENDATIONS: DETECTIVE SERVICES • The DoP should ensure that detective officers are trained in all areas of detective services to enable them to perform their duties effectively. • The DoP should ensure that sufficient human resources, computers and vehicles are made available at all police stations. • The DoP should conduct an audit to determine the reasons for the disparity in terms of records held at police stations and Head Office regarding resources. • Station and Detective Commanders should strive to ensure that detective officers adhere to procedures for managing crime scenes and that docket management processes are strictly adhered to. • The DoP should strive to link its information technology to those of the departments which the police department is dependent on for information such as the Departments of Home Affairs, Health and Correctional Services. • The DoP should initiate a discussion with departments falling in the Criminal Justice Cluster around synchronising their efforts and focus to crime fighting in the country.
