SAPS to launch cold case teams and crime detection academy
Sitole: “They (citizens) are crying out for our help and we have a constitutional obligation to them to make South Africa a safer country to live in.”
As SAPS still try to lower the rate of crime in South Africa, they continue to search for new ways to maintain law and order. Although not confirmed as yet, the police may be launching cold case teams across the country as well as a crime detection academy. If this is to be, the hope would be that it would be effective in tightening the noose around criminals and put a halt to crime in South Africa. General Khehla Sitole, the National Police Commissioner, was speaking at a crime detection conference in Pretoria on Wednesday. She was able to shed light on SAPS’ plans to establishing the cold case teams as well as the academy.
Resolutions needed to improve the effectiveness of SAPS
The conference hosted detectives as well as intelligence and forensic officials. This, Sitole added, signalled an appreciation of the authorities’ challenges in detecting crime.
“Our gathering intended resolutions that will address the challenges in resolving cases and putting behind bars those who terrorise our communities,” Sitole stated.
He further added that
“it cannot be that we continue to have excessive [numbers] of cases which are not finalised, particularly if this is due to our own shortcomings. It cannot be that we neglect communicating with our clients on what has transpired with their cases.”
The other resolutions that were discussed at the conference included the optimisation of tracking units in assisting detectives with the tracking of wanted suspects. Moreover, it was revealed that there is a need for the re-establishment of uniform inquiry and investigative units to alleviate the burden of keeping count of dockets from detectives. Sitole also expressed the need for an enhancement in the capabilities of the Detective Service Centre (DSC) as well as closing the feedback loop on open cases. He added that
“we have identified a need to develop a national instruction (containing a standardised reporting template) on providing feedback to complainants.”
Sitole also challenged authorities to ensure that investigations are completed in an average period of 72 hours, ensuring that all crime scenes are visited and well sought through.
“They (citizens) are crying out for our help and we have a constitutional obligation to them to make South Africa a safer country to live in. We have a responsibility to demonstrate in deeds our commitment to a safer nation,” he exclaimed.
