Social Community dynamics and it influence on serious violent crimes:

Gangsterism and Drug Abuse

Presentation by Major General JA Vearey- SAPS Research Colloquium, 7-9 February 2017, CSIR Conference Centre

Will argue that gangs and drug abuse have social determinants and drivers outside the operational purview and control of the Criminal Justice System.

Will comment on SAPS approaches to deal with the problem.

Will argue an alternative approach. Will comment on types of research input

required

TIMELINE POLICE APPROACH

22 June 1912 “…Nongoloza’s Army has now attained a numerical strength and an organisation sufficient enough to warrant its receiving prompt and energetic attention..” Insp. Hartigan District Commandant East Rand

1912 Min. of Justice orders all gang prisoners be transferred from Transvaal and Durban to Robben Island and Noordhoek Prisons

1946 Sgt Nell forms a Special Squad to tackle gang violence in District 6

1989 Visible Gang Unit formed

Post 1998 Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA) - Understanding & Targeting Gangs as Threats and Structure

POCA no 121 of 1998

July 2008: Social Transformation, Gang Prevention and Intervention Strategic Framework

Threat Management System

Four Pillar Approach

“...includes any formal or informal ongoing organisation, association, or group of three or more persons which has one of its activities the commission of one or more criminal offences, which has an identifiable name or identifying sign or symbol, and whose members individually or collectively engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal gang activity”

Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998 (POCA)

‘TOWNSHIP’ BASED GANGS

› SHORT LIFE SPANS

› SMALL GROUPS

› MOBILE

CAPE FLATS BASED GANGS

› IDENTIFIED NAMES

› TERRITORY BASED

› EMBEDDED IN COMMUNITIES

PRISON BASED GANGS

› NORMATIVE CRIMINAL GOVERNANCE

› SUBCULTURAL INFLUENCE

To disrupt gang activity in targeted communities.

To disrupt the gang criminal economy

To construct prosecution ready POCA criminal case dockets against gangs implicated in specific criminal acts and racketeering

To disrupt the prison gang influence over street gangs

To combat corruption of the criminal justice system by criminal gangs

To mobilise and organise communities against gangs and their criminal activities.

A target focused approach against identified street and prison gangs through:

Focused Crime Information/Intelligence Management

Project-driven Gang Investigation

Strategic Visible Policing Deployment

Community mobilisation

FOCUSED INFORMATION/INTELLIGENCE MANAGEMENT

Integrated information /Intelligence management capability Informant /Intelligence management through Target focused collection requirements Target focused expansion of source capacity at

Station level

Threat management approach

Centralisation of dockets against targets into projects

POCA focused investigations with allocated specialist prosecutors from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)

Monitoring, review and evaluation with NPA

Target driven operational planning at both station and provincial level

Dedicated gang response Target focused disruptive and interception teams

Monitoring, review and evaluation of outputs

COMMUNITY MOBLISATION: LEGISLATION AND POLICY

Section 18 : South African Police Services Act “The SAPS shall liaise with community through community police forums…with a view to” “(f) Promoting joint problem identification and problem solving by the service and the community”

National Development Plan: Vision for 2030 Chapter 12 “ Building Safer Communities”

• “Build safety using an integrated approach • “…holistic approach to community safety”

COMMUNITY MOBILISATION

Programme-driven community mobilisation against targets

Social crime prevention programmes

Create community-led civic structures in gang turf areas