SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

1. SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE Presentation to: Joint Monitoring Committee on Improvement of Quality of Life and Status of Women

2. Introduction • Programmes to address violence against women • Preventative • Reactive • Linking the Domestic Violence Act with maintenance issues • Budget for women

3. Violence against women • Cycle of disempowerment that includes poverty, discrimination, violence and abuse • Role of women in shaping society - women’s issues are society’s issues • Massive impact of seeing women as victims - creates its own cycle of disempowerment • Through internal programmes and external services the SAPS can help to break this cycle of disempowerment

4. Key commitments of SAPS • Implementation of the Domestic Violence Act • Victim empowerment, service and facilities • Training in gender sensitivity and protocols to deal with sexual violence • The transformation of the SAPS through gender policies • Intersectoral programmes in support of crime prevention interventions • Specialised capacity in Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences units to investigate crimes against women and children.

5. Domestic Violence • Implementation of the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) dependent on the SAPS • Take domestic abuse out of the privacy that protects the offender • Minister has challenged all SAPS members to become role models • Part of interdepartmental Domestic Violence programme

6. Implementation of the DVA (1) • Implemented end 1999: All SAPS members trained prior to implementation • Total members trained 21098 (from 1999 to date) • Extensive and ongoing training in 2001 - new training programme developed on interdepartmental basis, submitted for accreditation • Funding allocated nationally for training (2001/2001 - R100 000 per province)

7. Implementation of the DVA (2) • Problem solving approach in training, also focus on integration of services • Monitoring and evaluation: Report to Parliament twice a year • Reports from ICD and NGO’s informs programme in SAPS eg for ongoing training; and co-operation with other departments and communities • Interdepartmental monitoring programme

8. Implementation of the DVA (3) • Protocols and guidelines for integrated service delivery: • Social Development - Shelters, victim support • Justice - Protection orders • Co-operation with communities and private sector - victims support, safe houses, awareness • Internal communication in SAPS and other departments • Public awareness

9. Rape and Sexual Offences (1) • Reactive: Investigation and victim • Complemented by VEP for all functional members • Interdepartmental process to develop strategy to address rape - preventative and reactive. First project underway • Premise that not all rapes are the same - prevention must be informed by offender and victim analysis • Supported by public awareness and communication

10. Rape and Sexual Offences (2) • Specialised units and specialised individuals at stations (FCS and CPU’s) • Specialised training for investigators, eg FCS sexual offences techniques, national instruction on sexual offences • Crime Scene management • Gender sensitivity training • Inclusion of investigation of sexual offences and victim empowerment in basic training and in training for all detectives

11. Victim Empowerment (1) • Training Programme aimed at basic levels of service delivery, treating victims with respect and dignity, entrench their rights to receive and offer information • 1388 members trained so far in 2001 (total numbers of members trained 21000) • Improved facilities at stations

12. Victim Empowerment (2) • Community based victim support initiatives • Public Awareness and internal communication • Limitation of secondary victimisation • Empowerment of Victim as witness • Allocation 2001/2001: R2 million

13. Prevention of firearm related violence • Firearms Control Act can play a role in reducing violence against women • We need women to support this Act • Gun violence threatens and oppresses women, children and young men • Implementation of Firearm-free zones to create safe public spaces • Lethal combination of alcohol and firearms: Can FFZ’s assist • Mobilise women to support and maintain

14. Poverty and crime • President’s speech 1999 - connection between poverty and crime • Poverty Hearings of 1998 we learned that over 50% of women in South Africa today are oppressed by poverty • Presidential priorities include poverty alleviation, job creation, human resource development, rural development, urban renewal, crime prevention, combating HIV/Aids • These programmes can contribute to break the cycles of violence contribute to disempowerment of women

15. Priority station areas for Violence against women and children • NCCF direction: Identified 20 police station - highest levels of crime against women and children • Developing proactive local programmes aimed at reducing the levels of violent crime against women and children - programmes in 3 provinces approved • Reduction programmes to protect women and children from violence - aimed at factors that contribute to violence like alcohol and firearms • Local level community mobilisation and awareness

16. Youth Programme (1) • Youth programme aimed at: • Reducing risk factors to offending behaviour • Strengthening resilience factors to victimization and offending • Criminal Justice: • Children Awaiting Trial • Child Justice Bill • Allocation SAPS R1 million , Donors R 2.3 million

17. Youth Programme (2) • Schools Based Programmes: • Partnership with Department of Education : Safer Schools workbook, support for local schools-based programmes • Captain Crime Stop • Adopt- A - Cop • Implementation of Firearm-free zones in schools • Awareness programmes to address risk factors like alcohol and drugs