Criminals are increasingly sophisticated, leveraging technology to commit and conceal crimes from prying eyes. All the while the SA Police Service (SAPS) remains shackled to outdated, manual processes that render it ill-equipped for modern law enforcement.
The SAPS is at a crossroads. The question is no longer whether the service should adopt smart crime-fighting techniques, it’s whether it can do so before the digital train leaves.
The reality is stark. Criminals exploit digital tools to commit crimes, fully aware that the police still cling to “old school” methods that include paper-based case files, manual intelligence processing and face-to-face interactions.
These archaic crime-fighting methods are not just inefficient, they are a liability. For example, incomplete or inaccurate witness statements and the loss of filed records are among the primary reasons cases collapse in court.
Digitising these processes could streamline investigations, reduce delays and safeguard files. The police seem paralysed by a lack of resources, training and political will. A recent personal experience emphasised this glaring gap.
When my mother-in-law’s tenant stole her assets, including a fridge, washing machine and inverter, we reported the crime to the police and even provided CCTV footage of the theft. The female police officer assigned to the case was competent, but hamstrung by systemic inefficiencies. It took her two hours to compile a statement manually.
Worse still, the detective asked us for a memory stick to transfer the CCTV footage. She did not have a memory stick because the state failed to supply this basic item. This incident highlights a troubling truth: the SAPS is not just under-resourced; it is fundamentally unprepared for the digital age.
The digital train is moving fast, and the SAPS risks being left behind. For the sake of SA’s safety and security it must get on board before it’s too late.
Even more troubling, the detective had no access to a working email or a secure file-sharing platform such as WeTransfer. The footage could have been sent instantly, saving time and resources. Instead, the process was needlessly cumbersome, the diligent detective had to drive 10km to fetch a memory stick containing the CCTV footage at the estate.
However, not all was lost. When the detective finally accessed the footage she leveraged technology from Vumacam, a private surveillance service provider, to track and arrest the suspect. This collaboration between the police and the private sector demonstrates the potential of smart policing.
But why must the police rely on external partners for basic investigative tools? Shouldn’t this capacity exist within the police establishment and be controlled by it?
For now, the private sector is stepping up in areas where state services fall short. Take Community Wolf, a UK-based company operating in Southern Africa that has transformed WhatsApp into an AI-powered crime-fighting tool.
With more than 30-million South Africans using WhatsApp, the platform allows users to report suspicious activity anonymously and in real-time. This innovation turns every citizen into a virtual security camera, creating a network of collective reporting that could revolutionise crime prevention.
I hope South Africans embrace this technology, which uses WhatsApp as an AI platform to fight crime. This platform has the potential to assist under-resourced police officers become more efficient.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address offered some reassurance. He announced plans to adopt surveillance, analytics and smart policing solutions, citing the success of the SA Revenue Service using AI to prevent fraud and recover billions in lost revenue.
Ramaphosa also revealed plans to expand the detective service by 4,000 personnel and establish a world-class digital forensics lab to tackle complex corruption and financial crimes. These promises are commendable, but they ring hollow without concrete action.
Police minister Senzo Mchunu faces an uphill battle. Digitalising the SAPS requires not only financial resources but also a cultural shift. The service will have to attract tech-savvy recruits and retrain existing personnel to embrace smart policing. This is no small task in a country grappling with budget constraints and a legacy of institutional inertia.
Yet the stakes could not be higher. SA’s crime rates are among the highest in the world. Organised crime syndicates, construction mafias and drug traffickers operate with near impunity. Without a modern, data-driven approach to policing the SAPS will continue to play catch-up, leaving citizens vulnerable and criminals emboldened.
The private sector cannot carry the burden alone. While partnerships with companies such as Vumacam and Community Wolf are valuable, they are not a substitute for a fully functional, digitally equipped police service.
SAPS must take ownership of its modernisation, investing in cutting-edge tools, training and talent. The digital train is moving fast, and the SAPS risks being left behind. For the sake of SA’s safety and security it must get on board before it’s too late.
The time for half-measures and empty promises is over. The SAPS must embrace smart policing, not as a luxury but as a necessity. The future of law enforcement depends on it.
• Lourie is founder and editor of TechFinancials.
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