ABSTRACT
South Africa emerged from apartheid in 1994. Until then, the police had been in the forefront of the violent apartheid law enforcement, had lost legitimacy, and lacked professional skills in the fundamental areas of crime prevention and community policing. Police reform has been a preoccupation for the democratic government, to ensure that communities have confidence in the police and that the police are effective in their task. The White Paper on Safety and Security and the National Crime Prevention Strategy, both released in the
Introduction 183 Career 185 Changes Experienced 188 Personal Policing Philosophy 191 Problems and Successes 193 Theory and Practice 197 Democratic Policing 198 Transnational Policing 201 Looking Ahead 202 Conclusion 202 Glossary 203 Note 204 References 204
1990s during the administration of Nelson Mandela, informed most policy directions. However, the journey has been complex. The legacy of apartheid dictated that social spending increase in the areas of education, health, and housing (which, admittedly, created long-term benefits for crime prevention). The crime wave that is associated with countries in transition did not escape South Africa. Police brutality, managerial laxity, a crisis in leadership within the South African Police Service (SAPS), and an array of other challenges have been a feature of postapartheid policing. For a population of 50 million in 2011, South Africa recorded 15,600 murders a year, a 2.4 percent reduction from the previous year; contact crime accounted for 31 percent over an eightyear period (SAPS 2012).
