Changes to public order policing from 2006 to 2011: Has there been any progress?

Bilkis Omar

2

Outline

• Changes to POP: 1996 to 2005• 2006 changes• 2006/07 study• Subsequent changes: The new SAPS• 2008 incident affected POP• What progress?• What do we need from our POPs?

3

Changes to POPs

• Pre 1994: Riot Units & ISD– Militaristic, no culture of observing HR, heavy handed

• 1996: POP– in line with SAPS transformation: made sense given history

• 1998 POPs disbanded– Political protests decreased

• 2001/02: ACCU– Decentralised to area level, pool of resources for area

commissioners– NCCS– Decrease in political protests– Primary function: crime combating– Secondary function: crowd management

4

2006/07 changes

• 2006 Selebi restructured units - Unconstitutional & administrative- Poor service delivery at station level- Architects justified resructuring

- Metro Police trained in crowd man as 1st responders- Crime prev members also trained in crowd man as force multipliers

Did Selebi reasons to restructure make sense?– Ito police stations needing more capacity to enhance service deliver

- Careful evaluation was needed

2006/07 study

• Study of Gauteng ACCUs• Assessed capacity of units to manage protests • Ability of ACCUs to successfully police 2010 FIFA WC

• Observe first hand what impact the restructuring had on ACCU

• Rumours about changes• Morale low, uncertainty & fear• Protests would be managed by local station• Changes implemented

6

2006/07 study continued…

• Objection raised re difficulties mobilising• Stations deal with small protests• At cost of day-to-day functions• Architects compromised: 3 ACCUs remained open• HR capacity 1383 ops members decreased 614• Remaining 713 members were deployed to stations

Location of Gauteng ACCUs before restructuring

Location of CCUs after restructuring

Structure of ACCU & CCU

Gauteng Policing Areas7 Areas

122 Police Stations1383 Operational ACCU members

ACCU190 operational members

Vaal Rand12 stations

ACCU150 operational members

North Rand15 stations

ACCU230 operational members

East Rand24 stations

ACCU179 operational members

Johannesburg Central21 stations

ACCU

Soweto11 stations

ACCU

West Rand11 stations

ACCU550 operational members

Pretoria28 stations

2006/07 study: Outcome of restructuring?

• Members deployed stations unhappy• Retrained station personnel – poor performance• In-service training & loss of esprit de corps• Policies not amended in line with changes• No capacity unanticipated increase in protests

• Architects justified restructuring (IRIS)• My exam of IRIS showed bet 2002-2005 protests increased

by 50% & violent protests increased by 64%

11

2006/07 study: findings

• No intention evaluating Selebi’s restructuring• Dissolution of area level not concern for ACCUs• ACCUS could have remained 7 areas under command of

PC • ACCUs continued assisting stations• Other HR for stations sourced elsewhere

• Restructuring of ACCUs not good idea as were functioning effectively crowd situations, while continuing to support stations in crime combating

12

2006/07 study

• Respondent: “large unanticipated, violent event cause SAPS management realise the damage wrought to ACCUs!!!”

• May 2008 xenophobic violence struck SA• CCUs struggled• SAPS forced reopen some CCUs & increase manpower• SAPS management image in tatters

Subsequent changes: The new SAPS

• 2010 WC increase resources• Retrained CCUs - Belgian to French method

• Aug 2008 new Minister of S&S• May 2009 Ministry of S&S changed to Ministry of Police • July 2009 new police commissioner appointed• Change in the approach to policing –inane changes but

profound effect on members• SAPS ORS conference (Tatane) • Mar 2011 CCUs – POP• New policy on POP

Any progress?

• 2010 FIFA WC success• Policing of protests - no improvement• Violations HR reminiscent apartheid police• Poor command and control, inadequate training, lack of

resources - same issues 2006• SAPS Conference: no clear developments• New policy on POP will be worthless unless policy

implemented• Non implementation - weak management at national level• Emphasis on national as commands /orders & even

resources

What do we need of POPs?

• Implementation of policies • Well capacitated and well functioning POP to respond more

effectively to public protest activity• Within a human rights framework

• One criteria by which SAPS should be judged by

“When discussing police capacity there is vital question to keep in mind: are we capable of managing a long term crisis situation of national scope, without hampering basic police service”

Piet Peters

Thank You

Questions?