Pretoria, Friday 10 February 2017: The South African Police Service (SAPS) hosted a Research Colloquium from 7 to 9 February 2017 at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Conference Centre in Pretoria.
The Research Colloquium is one of the exploratory research activities included in the Research Proposal for the development of an ideal and suitable policing model for the SAPS.
The event also served the purpose of introducing the newly established SAPS Research Division and the SAPS Research Agenda for 2016 to 2020 to all participants.
The SAPS’s National Management Forum adopted the SAPS’s Research Agenda for 2016 to 2020 during July 2016. Among other objectives, the Research Agenda is aimed at improving service delivery by the SAPS, enhancing innovation and modernization and infusing professionalism in policing.
The Research Agenda, in support of the National Development Plan’s Vision 2030 is the product of many different environments in the SAPS and other stakeholders who generously cooperated in the preparation of this significant agenda.
It will not only be beneficial to the SAPS but will assist research institutions and independent researchers to understand how they can contribute towards an enhanced policing body of knowledge and research in policing in the South African context.
The three day Colloquium included participation from SAPS members from national and provincial levels, universities, research organisations, NGO’s, SAPS’ business partners and prominent social activists in the field of policing and community safety as well as Community Policing Forums. The debates were explorative and extensive and fruitful exchanges were made between all role players which contributed significantly towards the development of an ideal and suitable policing model for the SAPS.
Describing the event as successful beyond his expectations, Lieutenant General Gary Kruser said: “We police in a complex and fluid environment, with various strategies and policies in place. We need to continuously assess what is relevant, which areas need development and use research to better serve our communities”. Lieutenant General Kruser is the Deputy National Commissioner responsible for National Management Intervention and the newly established Research Division is located within that environment.
Two experts, who attended the Research Colloquium, Ms Nompumelelo Radebe from National Treasury and Dr Vusi Sithole from the Department of Transport, thanked the SAPS for this initiative which was well received by all delegates. “Policing is a community matter; those participating in this colloquium represent a pool of knowledge on policing and it was a good exercise for the SAPS to invite such people,” said Dr Sithole.
“Research on an ideal model of policing in South African is a process which started with round table discussions, progressed to holding this Research Colloquium and will result in a research report after all information gathered has been processed and analysed,” advised Lieutenant General (Dr) Bongiwe Zulu, the Divisional Commissioner, Research.
The SAPS will make the research report available once finalized.
