Citation

Dlamini S. Acta Criminol. 2023; 36(1): 38-55.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Criminological Society of South Africa)

DOI

10.10520/ejc-crim_v36_n1_a3

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Crime has a damaging impact on the safety and security of communities, as well as on peace and stability in a country. It not only affects a country's reputation amongst potential international tourists and investors, but also the general quality of life of ordinary citizens. Are community policing and community police forums an effective strategy within South African communities to combat and prevent crime? This article aims to investigate this question, taking into account the impact the legislation on community police forums, passed in South Africa in 1995 - almost 28 years ago - has had. Qualitative research was conducted for this article on how the limited knowledge of community members in Durban, South Africa, concerning community policing restricts the effective functioning of the community police forums in combating crime. The author seeks to show how the lack of affinity to community police forums by the community members poses a challenge to the functioning of said forums and seeks to find ways in which community policing as a crime prevention strategy can be improved to make communities safer. The findings collected through focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with a total number of 55 participants (comprising of South African Police Service members; community police forum representatives; community leaders; and ordinary members of the two selected communities, namely: Glenwood suburb and Cato Manor township (in Durban); suggest limited knowledge of and affinity to community police forums by community members. This would appear to be due to a lack of communication, resources, trust and the South Africa Police Service's organisational culture. This article recommends the establishment of a stronger partnership and the continuation of seeking ways for closer co-operation between the South Africa Police Service, community police forums and communities.

Language: en

Keywords

community police forums; Community policing; crime; crime prevention; Durban, South Africa; South African Police Service