the South African Police Service
18 September 2007
The Annual Report of the South African Police Service (SAPS) for the
financial year 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was tabled in Parliament on
Monday, 17 September 2007. The Annual Report contains comprehensive information
on the five policing programmes that is administration, visible policing,
detective services, crime intelligence and protection and security services as
well as the annual financial statements of the SAPS.
The SAPS is a growing establishment and during the year under review 9 827
entry-level constables successfully completed the Basic Training Learning
Programme and graduated from the various police training institutions
throughout the country. A total of 15 164 police members completed the Street
Survival Learning Programme which is essential to ensure that our operational
members are well prepared to protect themselves and their colleagues while
performing policing duties.
It is gratifying to note that 35 285 new reservists were recruited, which
brought the total number of reservists to 44 356. The management of the SAPS is
committed to ensuring that our police service uses the best and most modern
technology to prevent and combat crime and has, to this end and inter alia:
* Installed a Genetic Sample Processing System at the Forensic Science
Laboratory in Pretoria which is used for DNA analysis.
* Established a High Technology Project Centre to co-ordinate information and
the utilisation of skills and technology to support investigators in
identifying suspects, opposing bail, apprehending wanted persons and
establishing links between cases of a serious nature.
The SAPS also continued to intensify our efforts to prevent the
proliferation of illegal firearms and to remove them from society. Over 13 000
lost or stolen firearms were recovered during the year under review. As lost
and stolen firearms invariably land up in the hands of the criminal element and
are often used in the commission of violent offences, the efficient control of
firearms through the Firearms Strategy is of the utmost importance. The number
of firearms destroyed by the SAPS rose from 107 468 in 2005/06 to 160 718 in
2006/07.
During the 2006/07 financial year, over a million crime-related fingerprint
enquiries were received at the SAPS Criminal Record Centre, as well as 912 710
non-crime related fingerprint enquiries. A total of 168 732 ballistic cases
were received and 48 670 biology cases were finalised by the Forensic Science
Laboratory.
National Commissioner Jackie Selebi said, "It is evident from the
information contained in our Annual Report that the members and management of
the SAPS remain committed to serving the community some members even sacrificed
their own lives while doing so in 2006/07." Commissioner Selebi dedicated the
Annual Report to the heroic men and women in blue who make many sacrifices in
order to serve the people of this country. The 2006/07 South African Police
Service's Annual Report is available on the website http://www.saps.gov.za.
Issued by: South African Police Service
18 September 2007
Source: South African Police Service (http://www.saps.gov.za)
