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As part of an ongoing project to monitor the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, Lillian Artz focuses on the role of magistrates. The impression exists that magistrates have a tendency to judge domestic violence matters conservatively. But research shows that most take a ‘better safe, than sorry’ approach in granting particular conditions in protection orders
JDS Thomson investigates coloured homicide trends in South Africa. Understanding such high levels of violence should begin with an investigation of who the victims and perpetrators are, and how the homicides are committed - not only now but also in the past. An historical analysis reveals that the coloured population has, as long as accurate records are available, had the highest murder rate of all race groups in the country.
According to the official crime statistics, the Western Cape has emerged as the country’s most crime-ridden province, and the Northern Cape as the most violent. This is confusing for criminologists who link crime to poverty, because these are two of the best developed provinces in the country, with the highest employment levels. Explaining crime in these provinces requires further research on the people and conditions in the area. Ted Leggett explains.
In his second contribution, Ted Leggett asks 'is the crime problem in the Western Cape and the Northern Cape rooted in the coloured population?' Official figures suggest that coloured people are twice as likely as any other ethnic group to be murdered, and twice as likely to be incarcerated. Unfortunately, it is impossible to properly explore the linkage between the crime rates in the Cape and the coloured communities without station-level crime statistics, which the police no longer release to the public. Nevertheless, more research is needed to understand the links between this group and the crime problem.
As part of Business Against Crime's Support Partnership for Police Station programme, service delivery in 33 of Gauteng’s 121 police stations was evaluated in late 2003. The results highlight many often overlooked issues which can be simply rectified to present a user-friendly environment in which police can offer a more sympathetic and professional service. Yvonne Pennington evaluates Service delivery in Gauteng`s police stations
In its recent white paper, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) takes on the big challenge of rehabilitating offenders. This represents a paradigm shift that will require a concerted effort, not only from DCS, but other departments, families of offenders and the public, Makubetse Sekhonyane argues that rehabilitation starts with alternatives to prison.
