Recent crime statistics show that whatever is being done to fight crime in South Africa is not working, an expert said on Friday.
”It shows us that there is something wrong with our approach to this fight in which we present our crime situation,” researcher Johan Burger said at the Institute of Security Studies seminar on the country’s crime-prevention strategy.
He said police allowed themselves to be blamed for the failure of other government departments across the board.
”We need other government departments to tell us what they’re doing to address crime and conditions conducive to crime.”
Burger said to enable a more fair and sensible distribution of responsibilities for crime-fighting, an integrated national strategy was needed.
Such strategy should direct all government resources on a massive scale to achieve a realistic objective.
The strategy should be preceded by a commission of inquiry to determine the expense of crime, where it happens, why it happens and why it is so violent.
He said the National Security Council may be just such a structure but changes to its mandate, structure and functioning would be required.
He said after the commission of inquiry made its findings, clear directives must be allocated to government departments such as the Justice Department, the police and correctional services.
”The police should make sure that cases are properly investigated before they are brought to court. Criminal justice must ensure that there are convictions and correctional services ensure rehabilitation of offenders,” he said.
This would require that officers are properly trained.
He said South Africa stood a good chance of hosting a successful 2010 Soccer World Cup, because crime had dropped 20% compared with 2003, the year South Africa hosted the Cricket World Cup. The Cricket World Cup had also been crime free.
He said, however, that crime statistics in the country were not clearly indicating whether the country was winning or losing the fight against crime as figures tended to fluctuate.
A lot of resources were put into fighting crime, but it was worrying that violent crime was increasing. — Sapa