Six things to help you stay informed about crime...

This guide from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) provides practical advice for the public to stay informed about local crime and security in South Africa, arguing that the South African Police Service (SAPS) needs to overhaul its public information approach.

• The South African Police Service (SAPS) is criticized for providing outdated information that does not reflect the actual experiences of the public, leading corporate, academic, and media circles to believe the organization needs to overhaul its approach to informing the public about crime and prevention.
• Individuals are encouraged to actively know their neighborhoods and build coalitions across different socio-economic areas, as residents in affluent, low-crime areas are often detached from neighboring high-crime areas, which hinders the understanding of crime patterns and the formation of coalitions between activists, mothers, and private security firms.
• The guide suggests building personal relationships with local police officers, as well as clerks and front-desk personnel, because police tend to respond better to people they know and those who show respect.
• Due to the negative public image of SAPS and the involvement of some officials in criminal activities, the public is encouraged to show appreciation for police officers when they perform well, such as through letters of appreciation in local media for key arrests or increased patrol visibility.
• The public is advised to independently track crime patterns by keeping daily or weekly logs of reported crimes and identifying commonalities among victims and witnesses rather than waiting for the police to make these connections.
• The guide recommends linking local crime observations to national trends, noting that crime patterns and fighting strategies often move in waves across different cities.

APA

Kanyegirire, A. (2008). Six things to help you stay informed about crime... Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/topics/crime-and-criminal-justice/30-apr-2008-iss-today-six-things-to-help-you-stay-informed-about-crime-...

Chicago

Kanyegirire, Andrew. Six things to help you stay informed about crime... Institute for Security Studies, 2008. https://issafrica.org/topics/crime-and-criminal-justice/30-apr-2008-iss-today-six-things-to-help-you-stay-informed-about-crime-...

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kanyegirire |first1=Andrew |title=Six things to help you stay informed about crime... |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=30 April 2008 |url=https://issafrica.org/topics/crime-and-criminal-justice/30-apr-2008-iss-today-six-things-to-help-you-stay-informed-about-crime-... |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kanyegirire2008six, author = {Kanyegirire, Andrew}, title = {{Six things to help you stay informed about crime...}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = apr, url = {https://issafrica.org/topics/crime-and-criminal-justice/30-apr-2008-iss-today-six-things-to-help-you-stay-informed-about-crime-...}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }