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The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police has highlighted that there is need for the South African Police Service (SAPS) to invest in digital policing if it is to succeed in the fight against crime.

The Committee is of the view that cybercrime represents the next generation of crime and almost all new crime is digitally based. SAPS must move with speed to prepare the necessary infrastructure to deal with future crimes and must invest in the Police ICT Company to extend its readiness with regard to digital crime.

To achieve this, the Committee will engage the State Information Technology Agency in an effort to remove bottlenecks that have held back the roll-out of ICT-based intervention by the SAPS.

Following the Committee’s study tour to the United Kingdom, it became clear that for SAPS to effectively fight crime, there is need to focus on ICT. “If the SAPS does not evolve, it will be left behind and will be unable to fight crime effectively,” said Mr Francois Beukman, the Chairperson of the Committee.

As a result of the visit, the Committee recommends that the SAPS develops the Cybercrime Centre as soon as possible as it has become a ministerial priority. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the SAPS reviews its technological support environment to strengthen its operational readiness in investigations and against cybercrime.       

In an effort to ensure successful prosecution, the Committee recommended that the SAPS invests in body-worn cameras for all visible police unit officers and that CCTV cameras must be installed as a matter of priority in all community service centres throughout the country.

But above all, the Committee has emphasised the need for inter-agency cooperation between crime-fighting agencies to ensure success in investigations. Similarly, the resourcing of specialised units remains a prerequisite for success in the fight against organised crime.

The Committee will engage the SAPS and the Ministry of Police to integrate these recommendations into their strategies and ensure effective crime-fighting strategies.

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Francois Beukman