restructured Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS)
units
13 July 2007
The South African Police Service would like to express its disgust and utter
disappointment at the Democratic Alliance (DA) for publishing a so-called
survey on the restructured Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual
Offences (FCS) units by basing its findings solely on the views of a few
disenchanted former and current FCS members.
The so-called survey was so poorly researched, lacked substance, was devoid
of fact and smacked of cheap politicking. The rationale behind the
restructuring was a well considered one, to bring the units that deal with
crimes involving women and children closer to the communities. The DA MP, Mr
Mike Waters, claimed his party had conducted a "survey" in KwaZulu-Natal and
Mpumalanga and painted a gloomy picture of the situation which bore no truth to
reality on the ground. Waters purposefully "forgot" to mention that in
Mpumalanga, for instance, there were 16 additional FCS investigators and there
were areas that did not have the FCS investigators pre-restructuring but now
have as a result of the restructuring process.
Rape cases have decreased significantly in Mpumalanga, while the conviction
rate has increased substantially, specifically in areas that did not have the
units previously, such as Tonga, eMbalenhle and Vosman. One of the glaring
inaccuracies in the so-called survey is in KwaZulu-Natal, where the DA claimed
that there were 15 FCS units, when in actual fact, there are 13. The SAPS is
perplexed by the DA's usual thumb sucking of figures.
The SAPS closed down the area offices as they were far removed from the
communities they served and now post-restructuring, all the clusters of
stations have the FCS units that travel shorter distances and are easily
accessible to the victims. This was done to improve the efficiency and the
effectiveness of the FCS units that are tasked with preventing, combating and
investigating cases involving the most vulnerable of our society, women and
children.
The FCS members were strategically placed to stations according to the
prevalence of crimes in the respective police station precincts. They were
deployed to various clusters together with their resources and those clusters
that do not currently have the victim-friendly rooms, a process is underway to
equip them with the necessary logistical tools to better service to the
communities they serve and protect.
The DA has dismally failed in its alarmist bid to create an impression that
police have neglected crimes against women and children. The mandate of the FCS
has not and will not change. A three-week FCS specialised training detective
course resumed this week at the Detective Academy in Hammanskraal intended to
improve and enhance the detecting and investigating skills of the FCS
members.
Forty-seven (47) members are currently undergoing a course that started on 9
July 2007 and will end on 27 July 2007. The course will be conducted every
second month and will run indefinitely until such time the police score a 100%
conviction rate against the perpetrators of crimes committed against women and
children.
The long-term objective of the SAPS is to have the FCS investigators at all
the police stations in the country. A process has begun to identify additional
members at police stations who will be trained and deployed to the FCS units in
order to increase the much-needed capacity at those units.
For further information contact:
Selby Bokaba
Tel: 012 393 5648
Cell: 082 778 0245
Issued by: South African Police Service
13 July 2007
Source: South African Police Service (www.saps.gov.za)
