SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

Presentation to:

Joint Monitoring Committee on Improvement of Quality of Life and Status of Women

Introduction

· Programmes to address violence against women

· Preventative

· Reactive

· Linking the Domestic Violence Act with maintenance issues

· Budget for women

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

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.

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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