The not-so-secret solution to fighting SA's most feared crime

Armed robbery keeps rising in South Africa, but SAPS has effectively addressed the problem before and can do it again.

Published on 06 October 2015 in ISS Today

By

Gareth Newham
Head, Justice and Violence Prevention, ISS Pretoria

Confronting an armed intruder in your home is a spine-chilling experience. In an instant, your sanctuary becomes a prison of fear. You might be aware that the victims of most armed robberies are not injured, but at the time, there is no way of knowing whether you or your loved ones may be the exception and end up hurt, raped or murdered.

The trauma of armed robbery – whether at home, on the streets or at work – haunts people long after the incident has ended. It is no wonder, then, that the National Victims of Crime Survey shows that housebreaking and home robberies are the crimes that South Africans fear the most.

It should therefore be of great concern that most forms of aggravated robbery in South Africa have been increasing in the past three years. But why are we experiencing such persistent increases in robberies and why are the police not able to get on top of this crime?

Housebreaking and home robberies are the crimes that South Africans fear the most

Typically, the police record an aggravated robbery when someone reports that an armed perpetrator threatened to use violence against them in order to steal something of value. In the most recent statistics for 2014/15, a total of 129 045 aggravated robberies were reported to the police. This is an 8.4% increase, or an additional 10 082 attacks, when compared to the previous year.

This broad category was decreasing until 2011/12, when a total of 100 769 robberies were recorded by the police. This means that in a period of three years, the number of attacks increased by 28 276 incidents – or by almost 78 additional attacks each day on average.

A majority of these cases (around 58%) happen on the street, in parks or in other public spaces, and are typically committed by one or two young men carrying knives. After committing a relatively large number of street robberies over several years, some robbers obtain firearms and move to more lucrative forms of robbery, including hijacking or attacks on small businesses and homes.

Some of these robbers then progress to yet more lucrative options, such as truck hijacking or cash-in-transit heists where a single job can net millions. With each progression, the perpetrator has to become better organised to successfully pull off an attack; and better networked to quickly dispose of the stolen goods for an acceptable amount of cash.

So, how can the police effectively reduce these robberies? The simple answer is by increasing the risks of being involved in such crimes. This entails increasing the arrest and conviction rates of robbers and those trading in stolen goods. A gang of three people can commit dozens of robberies a year. Conversely, incarcerating these individuals could greatly reduce instances of robbery. Increased conviction rates also serve as a deterrent to would-be robbers.

A practical example of how this can be achieved is the South African Police Service (SAPS) Gauteng Aggravated Robbery strategy, which was implemented from 2009 to 2011. The strategy was the product of international research into effective anti-robbery policing and was launched by the Gauteng SAPS provincial head office.

Why is SA experiencing such persistent increases in robberies?

The provincial SAPS established a dedicated Crime Management Centre at its head office in Parktown to coordinate and drive the strategy. Its primary purpose was to provide intelligence and technical support to detectives investigating cases of armed robbery. This was achieved through the daily tracking of all reported robbery incidents in the province, linking cases to suspects who were operating across precinct boundaries and coordinating the intelligence, forensic and technical support needed by investigators to identify the gangs and their larger networks.  

To ensure a sound investigative standard across the province, 21 ‘task teams’ were established, consisting of dedicated and experienced detectives. Each task team investigated cases reported to a cluster of police stations, which enabled them to track gangs that operated across precinct boundaries. Unhindered by large and diverse case loads, these detectives were able to focus exclusively on tracking robbery suspects and gathering evidence. These task teams managed all the hijacking, residential and robbery cases reported in each of the 134 police precincts that existed across Gauteng at the time.

To up their chances of arresting robbers en route to or from a crime scene, the SAPS Gauteng provincial traffic officers in partnership with various metropolitan police stepped up joint road-block operations at strategic times and locations. A certain number of rapid response vehicles were on standby 24 hours a day in case of an alert of a robbery in progress.

The implementation of the strategy was overseen by a task team consisting of senior SAPS operational commanders and senior officials from the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, who met monthly to track the results. Notable successes became apparent within the first nine months. The arrest rates of robbers increased by 100%, the numbers of cases withdrawn from court due to insufficient evidence dropped by 20% and the conviction rates for these crimes increased by 14%.

The SAPS has the necessary expertise, resources and technology to reduce robbery

By the end of 2011, it was clear that the strategy had achieved its desired result. The 2011/12 crime statistics showed that over a two-year period, residential robberies in Gauteng had decreased by 20%, business robberies by 19% and hijackings by 32%. This strategy was, however, abandoned following a change in police leadership in the province, and all robbery categories subsequently started to rise.

This example shows that with a clear strategy and supporting protocols in place, the SAPS has the necessary operational expertise, resources and technology to effectively reduce robbery. There has been no such strategy in place since 2011.  

Fortunately, the Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko recently announced that an independent panel of local and international experts would be established to develop recommendations for reforming the SAPS. The recommendations are to be implemented by a ‘transformation task team,’ chaired by the Deputy Minister of Police, Maggie Sotyu. This may lay the ground for the type of reform that could ultimately improve professionalism in the SAPS, which is certainly a priority if crimes such as aggravated robbery are to be tackled effectively.

Gareth Newham, Head, Governance, Crime and Justice division, ISS Pretoria

This article was first published by Eyewitness News