14 July 2006
Today the first Information Centre for police stations was launched at the
Mmakau Police Station in the North West Province.
The Information Centres, to be established at 475 rural and Presidential
Police Stations throughout the country, will be equipped with material such as
publications, posters and other legal documentation relevant to policing. The
aim is to assist police officials as well as victims of crime by supplying them
with easily accessible information on how to report and deal with various
specified crimes.
The legal publications that will be supplied to identified police stations
will include, inter alia, material on criminal law, principles of evidence,
constitutional criminal procedure, applied law for police officials and a
manual of practical law for South Africans.
In addition, 1 300 information posters will be disseminated to all police
stations across the country. The poster outlines the rights of the victims,
contains advice to victims and police officials on the procedures involved in
the reporting of crime and covers offences ranging from rape and indecent
assault to domestic violence and missing persons.
During todayâs launch the National Commissioner of the South African Police
Service (SAPS), Commissioner Jackie Selebi, was officially handed a package of
the publications and poster by the Chairperson of the Safety and Security
Sectoral Bargaining Council (SSSBC), Professor Mzu Mthombeni.
Commissioner Selebi, in his address thanked the SSSBC and the labour unions
Police and Prisoners Civil Rights Unionâs (POPCRU) and South African Police
Union (SAPU) for their contribution and support. Commissioner Selebi said that
police management together with other role players and partners is ever
striving to empower and equip the police official on the beat, not only with
physical resources vital for policing, but also with knowledge. Legal knowledge
and legal material relevant to policing will through the information centres
and posters, now be readily on hand for our members especially those in rural
and semi rural areas who do not always have easy access to libraries and other
sources of information.
For more information contact:
Captain Dennis Adriao
Tel: (012) 393 2818
Issued by: South African Police Service (SAPS)
14 July 2006
Source: South African Police Service (http://www.saps.gov.za)
