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8 November 2007

Introduction

This is the fourth cycle JCPS Cluster progress report, which covers the period July to August 2007.

The JCPS Cluster is pleased to report on progress made in the fight against crime and outline planned initiatives in the prevention of crime – especially for the festive season.

The progress in the fight against crime was achieved in the following areas:

1. Crime prevention and public safety;
2. Organised crime;
3. Improving effectiveness of the criminal justice system;
4. Upholding national security;
5. Planning for major events.

Crime prevention and public safety

* Contact crimes: Various integrated cluster operations were conducted to reduce contact crimes in the priority station areas. Contact crimes refer to murder, attempted murder, rape, indecent assault, aggravated robbery, common assault and robbery. 3 339 law enforcement operations focusing on contact crimes were conducted during the reporting period. 30 515 arrests were made relating to contact crimes.

* Interventions from Correctional Services:  Inmate Tracking System – among other initiatives assists in tracking wanted criminals in correctional facilities; Video Arraignment System between correctional facilities and the courts – prevents and minimises the risk of escapes by awaiting trial offenders, while being transported; and this is useful for high risk criminals. 44 courts aligned to 22 correctional facilities have been established.

* Management of overcrowding: Our collective downward management of offenders demonstrates that we are on the right track with a small but significant and sustained impact on, for example, the numbers of awaiting trial detainees (ATDs) that were reduced during the reporting period by 1,53%.  In August and September alone, 4 805 sentenced offenders were released on parole, 509 offenders were sent to community corrections after serving 1/6th of their sentences while offenders given fines and regarded as posing little or no danger to society are increasingly being released to serve their sentences outside.  For example there are 20 137 awaiting trial detainees who were granted a bail of less than R2 000.00 in our facilities, whose placement must be managed such that a balance is struck between public safety and the costs of keeping them in our facilities at R193.00 per head per day.  These interventions are informed by our commitment to prioritise aggressive and sexual offenders whose numbers are continuously increasing, constituting 63% of the ATDs and 72% of the sentenced offenders during the reporting.

* Public and stakeholder mobilisation: Correctional Services' drive to intensify public mobilisation for effective correction, rehabilitation and social re-integration reached new heights as we celebrated the second Corrections Week between the 15 and 19 October 2007.  Some of the highlights of the week are:
- The signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Provincial Legislature of the Eastern Cape and the Women's Caucus;
- A crime prevention campaign run by the JCPS cluster in collaboration with the Social Sector cluster and non-governmental organisation (NGOs) targeting students from problematic schools, who were motivated not to exchange their school uniform for a uniform of shame worn by offenders;
- Partnerships with business community as showcased during the official opening of a nearly R1 million business sponsored food processing plant at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre; and
- A moral regeneration campaign run in collaboration with various faith-based organisations where a collective decision was taken to collect over 1 million signatures of people committing to join a national partnership against crime.

* Railways: Four permanent contact points at railway stations where the public can report crime were established. These are situated at Johannesburg, Denneboom in Pretoria, KwaMashu and Reunion in Durban – in response to crime experienced by rail commuters. There are currently 1 654 Railway Police members deployed nationally to combat crime in the rail transport environment. This is an increase of 454 from the previous reporting cycle.

* Reservists: During the reporting period 1 498 paid reservists were called up and 4 522 new reservists were recruited. A number of ex-Commandos have joined the reservists. This will have a major impact in assisting the police to combat crime and it increases police visibility.

* Anti-Crime Leadership initiative and community partnerships: The JCPS Cluster is working on an all-encompassing campaign to intensify the fight against crime. The purpose of the National Anti-Crime Campaign is to promote and create a safer and more secure South Africa. The campaign is designed to support and promote the mobilisation of all sectors and communities into an effective partnership and joint effort with government and its law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime.
- The JCPS Cluster's liaison partnership with civil society is continuing. The communication campaign is premised on the intensification and expansion of work government already underway with various sectors of society, business and communities to prevent and combat crime. There are several partnerships and initiatives directed towards the fight against crime, for example: the Anti-Crime Leadership Forum, Business Against Crime, ACT: ACT Against Crime Together, Take Charge, Bambanani, Primedia Crime Stop, etc.
- Anti-Crime Leadership Forum (ACLF) – four working groups (comprising government, business and civil society organisations) have been established and mandated to deal with the following:
* mobilising society and communications
* violent organised crime
* review of the Criminal Justice System
* Performance Enhancement Initiative
- The roll out of the National Anti-Crime Campaign will take the form of an extensive multi-media approach, encouraging all sectors, partners and communities across the country to participate in the fight against crime. Several engagements with sector stakeholders have been held:
* Community Policing Forums (CPFs)
* Faith-based Organisations
* Organised Labour (Unions)
* Civil Society

 At the same time, the police continued with "flood and flush" operations in the nine provinces, focusing on high-crime precincts. Daily Public Order Police deployments in support of the identified station areas (crime hot spots) yielded the following interventions in the quarter, July to September 2007: 5 061 roadblocks; 134 200 stop & search operations; 171 759 vehicle patrols; 7 956 firearms checked; 1 468 014 vehicles searched.

Much of the successes achieved by the police and other law enforcement agencies in recent months can be attributed to improved and targeted use of technology in cooperation with business and civic organisations.

Initiatives include:
* cross-referencing of records to identify repeat offenders.
* establishment of provincial and cluster tracing teams.
* coordination of investigations and prosecutions.
* priority prosecutions for organised-crime suspects.
* deployment of technology such as Morpho Touch, Mobile Computer base notebook and other software analyses, as well as cell phone linkages.
* improved crime scene management and evidence gathering.

These initiatives have contributed to the arrest over the last two months of 2 730 suspects in 2 582 cases over the last two months.

Organised crime

* Organised crime: Organised crime is a growing threat to the country. The JCPS has a comprehensive strategy to address this. The JCPS continues with its efforts to fight organised crime – great strides are being made in all areas. Six organised crime projects, focusing on corruption are receiving attention. A further 87 organised crime projects focusing on drugs, vehicles, precious metals etc are being investigated. During the reporting period 34 syndicate members were arrested
* Drugs: Three clandestine drug laboratories were dismantled.15 organised crime projects focusing on drugs are currently receiving attention.
* Cross border operations: The cluster is involved in several general cross-border operations in neighbouring countries.

Improving effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System

* The South African Police (SAPS) organisational structure: The new SAPS provincial organisational structures, including functional structures were finalised and will be presented to Top Management.

* Courts: A total of 22 additional courts are currently functioning in support of the case backlog reduction project. 20 new sites were identified for development. This is in addition to the current 21 development sites. Since 1 November 2006, until the end of the reporting period, 3 434 cases were permanently removed from the rolls through these additional courts. 2 199 cases have been finalised with a verdict of guilty in 79,9% of the cases. 104 plea bargaining processes were concluded during the same period.

* Training: Training was provided for lower court prosecutors and magistrates.

* Children in conflict with the law: There is progress with regard to establishing secure care centres for children in conflict with the law – in Bloemfontein and the Mogale City. 20 000 children have been diverted from the criminal justice system to these centres. Digital Court Recording Solutions were installed in all courtrooms, excluding children's courts that are fitted with CCTV systems

* ID track and trace system: The new ID track and trace system is being piloted as an internal management tool within the Department of Home Affairs. The project helps to tighten up security on ID process flow and to eliminate corruption.

* Magistrates Conference: The Magistrate's conference held on 15 and 16 September 2007 was a milestone in many respects.  It saw, for the first time, all levels of the judiciary meeting to discuss lower court transformation, and in particular, issues of accountability and independence.  The concept of a single judiciary was also discussed in detail and converging as well as conflicting views were presented.  Overall, the conference was a dynamic space, alive with knowledge, intellect and passion for the social and judicial transformation of the country.

* Launch of the Victims Charter: The implementation plan of the Victim Services Charter will be launched on the 21st of November 2007. The launch takes place during the 16 Days of Activism campaign against women and child abuse. The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and the Deputy President of the Republic will grace the launch with their presence. An integrated implementation plan shows a commitment by government to deliver victim friendly services to those who have been affected by crime.

Upholding national security

* Sea Border Control: Bases were established at Simons Town and Richards Bay for Sea Border Control.

* Cargo scanner: Negotiations were completed and an order placed for the first cargo scanner in Durban.

Plannning for major events and operations

Preparations for the Festive Season Operations

A Special Festive Season intervention nationally (with emphasis on Gauteng) has been planned in close co-operation between the police, national prosecuting authority and the business sector. It has been operational since mid-October, and focuses on four problem areas:
1.- aggravated robberies including house robberies
2 - social crime prevention (murder, rape, violence against women and children)
3 - fire-arms, liquor contravention and second hand goods
4 - borderline operations

Additional crime combating and prevention resources will be deployed including the deployment of additional South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members supported by helicopters and National Intervention Unit (NIU) members. 

* 2010 Soccer World Cup: The JCPS Cluster's planning for the security of the 2010 Soccer World Cup tournament is continuing. The Fifa 2010 Soccer World Cup preliminary draw scheduled to take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre is an affirmation that South Africa and its visitors for the 2010 Soccer World Cup will be safe.   

* Refugee Affairs Projects: The Backlog sites and the permanent refugee reception sites will be rationalised by 2008. The Marabastad office is being upgraded in order to offer a better service. A biometric integrated system will be implemented in January 2008, and it will assist in curbing the abuse of the asylum system.  

Issued by: Secretariat for Safety and Security
8 November 2007