Poor Infrastructure as an Inhibiting Factor in the Implementation of Sector Policing at Calcutta Police Station in the Bushbuck Ridge Local Municipality

• NCJ Number: 221558
• Journal: Acta Criminologica Volume: 20 Issue: 3 Dated: 2007 Pages: 32-45
• Author(s): M. Montesh
• Date Published: 2007
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: South Africa
• Note: To access the full text PDF: 1) select the provided link; 2) from the Acta Criminologica Web site, select "Table of Contents"; 3) select the corresponding Volume and Issue (see the NCJRS abstract record for the exact Volume and Issue); 4) scroll the Table of Contents to the exact article; and 5) click on the "full text" icon. Downloaded on February 13, 2008.

Annotation

Utilizing the Calcutta Police Station as a case study, this paper examines the challenges that the South African Police Service (SAPS) management was confronted with in the implementation of sector policing, specifically infrastructure development plans and rural areas.

Abstract

Sector policing is an approach to policing based on a British model, known as neighborhood policing. The primary aim of this approach is to render police services as closely as possible to the community. The Draft National Instruction of 2003 is the guiding document for the member of the South African Police Service (SAPS). However, it fails to outline how sector policing can be implemented in rural areas. The National Instruction appears to be more urban friendly. Since sector policing was implemented in South Africa, nothing has been written about the challenges the police in rural areas are faced with. This study conducted at the Calcutta Police Station which is responsible for policing more than six communities, sought to examine how effective the current strategy is with regards to implementation of sector policing in rural communities, identify best practices, highlight the importance of incorporating crime prevention strategies into the municipality’s integrated development plans (IDPs), indicate the importance of the role of the police service in the IDPs, highlight the importance of involving all stakeholders in the IDP forum, highlight implementation challenges with sector policing, and highlight the fact that sector policing implementation in urban areas cannot be equated to implementation in urban areas. What was found is that rural areas are experiencing serious policing problems as a result of road infrastructure disintegration. Rural government also faces the problem in the inclusion of crime prevention strategies in their IDPs. What this says is that whenever a policy or strategy is implemented, proper guidelines must be developed in conjunction with the policy, and the guidelines must draw distinction between implementation at rural levels and at urban levels. Tables, bibliography