Experts say millions for crime fight needs proper management

Millions of rands allocated to fight crime will achieve little unless funding is properly managed, monitored and implemented, say experts. Millions of rands allocated to fight crime will achieve little unless the funding is properly managed, monitored and implemented, say experts. During his medium-term budget speech on Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana allocated R186 million to strengthen forensic and investigative capacity, while R823 million was set aside for military deployments targeting gang-related crime and illegal mining. R823 million allocated to fight crime Experts who spoke to The Citizen welcomed the funding, but warned that financial investment alone would not resolve the deep-rooted problems facing the SA Police Service (Saps). Some also questioned the effectiveness of deploying the military in crime-fighting operations. Parliament’s police portfolio committee chair Ian Cameron said government had yet to explain how the success of the military deployments would be measured, or whether there soldiers withdrew from affected areas. “I am concerned that despite asking the defence and police ministers since the deployments began, they have still not told us how success or impact will be measured,” Cameron said. Parliamentary scrutiny had exposed serious shortcomings in forensic services, including DNA extraction equipment standing unused because the necessary tubes were unavailable, and contracts for biological consumables that had expired or had not been renewed. Cameron said police needed to explain how the additional funding would address these failures and reduce the DNA backlog. Govt yet to explain how success of military deployments will be measured He called for monthly reporting to establish whether the backlog was shrinking, incoming cases were being processed and completed forensic evidence was reaching investigators and prosecutors. He also stressed the need for detective reform, including workload assessments, the retention of experienced investigators and structured mentorship for newer detectives. Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences units also needed dedicated specialist personnel, functioning vehicles and reliable forensic support, he said. Willem Els, a security expert at the Institute for Security Studies, said the R186 million allocated to forensic and investigative capacity was welcome, but insufficient to resolve the police service’s broader challenges. He called for transparency in how the money would be spent, with proper oversight to ensure the public received value for its money. Els said forensic services faced a serious shortage of skilled personnel, warning that producing highly competent detectives required years of training and experience. R186m allocated to forensic and investigative capacity welcomed He said the government should also invest in modern policing technology, including software that allows different agencies to share information and analyse intelligence more effectively. Els highlighted the need for advanced technology to identify firearms whose serial numbers had been filed off, adding more effective methods were available than traditional chemical etching. He said firearms, including stolen weapons, played a big role in organised crime. Els added funding alone would not address incompetence, corruption and weak leadership within the police service. He called for stronger police management, improved mentorship and greater accountability among station commanders. “Station commanders should take more responsibility for what is happening in their areas. Financial investment alone will not resolve the deep-rooted problems facing Saps “They are responsible for that area and if things are not happening, they must hold people accountable,” he said. Els also questioned the deployment of soldiers to perform law enforcement duties, saying previous deployments had failed to achieve their objectives. He referred to the 2019 deployment of the military, saying reports by the military and parliament had indicated the operation was unsuccessful. Els said soldiers were primarily trained for military operations and required adequate preparation before working alongside police. University of Limpopo criminologist Witness Maluleke welcomed the development. But he said repeating strategies that had failed in the past could result in public money being wasted. Success depend on effective implementation Maluleke added the initiative’s success would depend on effective implementation, ethical leadership and strict monitoring of expenditure, rather than the amount allocated. He called for regular reports on how funds were spent and urged authorities to hold those responsible for failures accountable. Maluleke also said that it would take urgent intervention and years for the SA Police Service to rebuild its tarnished image.