Offences Units in the South African Police Service (SAPS)
22 May 2006
The South African Police Service has embarked on a process which will
culminate in ensuring that our country's police stations have the necessary
capacity and authority to deliver effective services to the communities. The
redeployment of members of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual
Offences (FCS) Units to station level has recently become a matter of public
and political debate undoubtedly at the instigation of ill-advised and
uninformed individuals.
The abuse and violation of women and children takes place in a policing
precinct. The first place where a sexual offence against a child (for example)
is reported is at a police station. Currently, FCS Units are not based at
police stations, but at separate offices a distance apart with a single unit
often serving a total of 28 police stations. The police officials at these
units are sometimes not readily available after hours and over weekends which
can result in a child-victim and his or her parents waiting up to two or three
days for expert assistance from the police. This can cause a vital delay in
medical intervention, the loss of evidence and the disappearance of a
perpetrator.
The long-term objective of the redeployment of FCS Units is to ultimately
ensure that every member at every police station has the necessary skills and
expertise to professionally assist and advise child victims and their guardians
and to expedite the investigative procedures. This process will take place in
phases over a period of time, carefully planned and coordinated by the national
head of Detective Services in consultation with Provincial Commissioners.
The first phase will entail reorganising the FCS Units so that each Unit
serves a cluster of police stations. This will mean that instead of the members
of the FCS Unit serving about 28 police stations, they will serve a cluster of
five or six police stations. They will then, whilst performing their functions
as FCS detectives, train police officials at each police station to render a
skilled service to victims of family violence and sexual offences. More police
officials will be trained at the stations as the process advances.
"The intention and indeed the end result are to ensure that these services
are available 24 hours a day where they are most needed, at the local police
station, close to the homes of the victims easily accessible, readily
available, by skilled and trained personnel. There is the utmost commitment
from management to ensure that skills are not lost, but are in fact enhanced
and transferred," said National Commissioner Jackie Selebi.
"Police officials and police units cannot operate in cocoons of expertise,
only sharing their skills when available and time permits. This results in a
tardy service to the community. The restructuring process will ensure better
organisation, the sharing of expertise and skills and the availability of
essential policing services where they are needed most, within all
communities," he added.
Enquiries: Director Sally de Beer
Tel: (012) 393 1574
Cell: 082 779 8658
Fax: (012) 393 2165
E-mail: debeers@saps.org.za
Issued by: South African Police Services
22 May 2006
Source: South African Police Service (http://www.saps.gov.za)
