University of Pretoria etd – Breetzke, G D (2008)
CHAPTER 3
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) AND POLICING IN
SOUTH AFRICA: A REVIEW
Gregory Dennis Breetzke
Published: Policing: An International Journal of Policing Strategies and
Management, 2007, 29(4), 723-740.
57
, University of Pretoria etd – Breetzke, G D (2008)
ABSTRACT
This paper explores the developments which have precipitated the use and integration
of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) within the South African Police Services
(SAPS). The paper provides a historical overview of GIS within South Africa,
supplemented with the legislative origins of the integration of GIS within policing in
the country. Various geo-analytic operations that GIS technology affords are
highlighted to illustrate the potential that the technology offers to law enforcement
agencies in South Africa. GIS is envisaged as a tool to benefit the criminal justice
community by playing an important role in the policing and crime prevention process,
this paper identifies the major inhibitors to the potential offered by GIS to supplement
policing within a South African context.
58
, University of Pretoria etd – Breetzke, G D (2008)
INTRODUCTION
The reduction of crime is one of the major challenges facing South Africa. Crime has
reached epidemic proportions with annual crime figures in the preceding decade
continually revealing inclining broad national trends on most crime types. The crime
statistics released by the South African Police Services (SAPS) in 2003 indicate that
crimes such as murder, rape and hijacking are decreasing in general. These national
trends however conceal vast regional differences with densely populated areas such as
the Western Cape, experiencing a 35% increase in murders and a 65% increase in
housebreaking (Gouws, 2004). In Gauteng, the economic hub of South Africa,
incidences of assault, armed robbery and hijackings are on the increase, and more
violent serial offences such as murder remain stable but high by international
standards. An important impact of crime is its effect on society. The social welfare
costs of crime are less tangible than perhaps the economic costs. Nevertheless these
costs accrue as a rise in crime precipitates the development of various social
phenomena such as the increasing urban occurrence of ‘closed neighbourhoods’ and
‘gated communities’, which since the 1990s have experienced phenomenal growth in
South Africa (Landman and Schönteich, 2002). Such urban developments fuel further
negative public sentiment regarding the South African government in general, and the
SAPS, in particular. Local researchers emphasise the role of economic (eg. Glanz,
1990; Demombynes and Özler, 2005), social (eg. Schurink, 1976; Louw and Parry,
1999) and demographic (eg. Redpath, 2002; Standing, 2003) variables as
determinants of the high crime rate, but besides highlighting certain criminogenic risk
factors, these studies don’t propose any technologically tangible solutions to the
scourge of crime. With mounting crime levels remaining one of the key challenges
59
, University of Pretoria etd – Breetzke, G D (2008)
facing South Africa, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are envisaged as tools
to facilitate policing through crime mapping and analysis. Internationally, GIS has
been widely utilised to supplement crime-fighting strategies (eg. Wendelken, 1995;
Hirshfield et al., 1995; Bowers et al., 2004; Ashby, 2005; Ashby and Longley, 2005);
locally, however, the question remains whether South Africa, and the SAPS, have the
necessary Geographical Information (GI) infrastructure, capacity and knowledge
required to supplement the policing process.
This article is structured into four main sections. The first section provides a brief
history of GIS and policing within South Africa. The second section outlines the
legislative developments that led to the integration and implementation of GIS within
the SAPS. The third section of the paper highlights future possibilities of the
application of GIS in local crime fighting initiatives. The paper concludes by
identifying certain critical success factors for the SAPS if the potential of GIS to
supplement policing is to be fully realised.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF GIS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Zietsman (2002, p.34) reports that despite numerous initiatives by international and
local institutions, GISes “have not really penetrated Africa to any significant degree”
with van Teefelen and Kwant (1999) reporting only 1,3% of all licensed GISes being
located in Africa. South Africa has always been considered more progressive than
other African countries in terms of their use of information and communications
technology (Saint, 1999) and this has partly contributed to the more rapid growth of
GIS in South Africa than in other parts of Africa. The 1980’s in South Africa were
60
CHAPTER 3
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) AND POLICING IN
SOUTH AFRICA: A REVIEW
Gregory Dennis Breetzke
Published: Policing: An International Journal of Policing Strategies and
Management, 2007, 29(4), 723-740.
57
, University of Pretoria etd – Breetzke, G D (2008)
ABSTRACT
This paper explores the developments which have precipitated the use and integration
of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) within the South African Police Services
(SAPS). The paper provides a historical overview of GIS within South Africa,
supplemented with the legislative origins of the integration of GIS within policing in
the country. Various geo-analytic operations that GIS technology affords are
highlighted to illustrate the potential that the technology offers to law enforcement
agencies in South Africa. GIS is envisaged as a tool to benefit the criminal justice
community by playing an important role in the policing and crime prevention process,
this paper identifies the major inhibitors to the potential offered by GIS to supplement
policing within a South African context.
58
, University of Pretoria etd – Breetzke, G D (2008)
INTRODUCTION
The reduction of crime is one of the major challenges facing South Africa. Crime has
reached epidemic proportions with annual crime figures in the preceding decade
continually revealing inclining broad national trends on most crime types. The crime
statistics released by the South African Police Services (SAPS) in 2003 indicate that
crimes such as murder, rape and hijacking are decreasing in general. These national
trends however conceal vast regional differences with densely populated areas such as
the Western Cape, experiencing a 35% increase in murders and a 65% increase in
housebreaking (Gouws, 2004). In Gauteng, the economic hub of South Africa,
incidences of assault, armed robbery and hijackings are on the increase, and more
violent serial offences such as murder remain stable but high by international
standards. An important impact of crime is its effect on society. The social welfare
costs of crime are less tangible than perhaps the economic costs. Nevertheless these
costs accrue as a rise in crime precipitates the development of various social
phenomena such as the increasing urban occurrence of ‘closed neighbourhoods’ and
‘gated communities’, which since the 1990s have experienced phenomenal growth in
South Africa (Landman and Schönteich, 2002). Such urban developments fuel further
negative public sentiment regarding the South African government in general, and the
SAPS, in particular. Local researchers emphasise the role of economic (eg. Glanz,
1990; Demombynes and Özler, 2005), social (eg. Schurink, 1976; Louw and Parry,
1999) and demographic (eg. Redpath, 2002; Standing, 2003) variables as
determinants of the high crime rate, but besides highlighting certain criminogenic risk
factors, these studies don’t propose any technologically tangible solutions to the
scourge of crime. With mounting crime levels remaining one of the key challenges
59
, University of Pretoria etd – Breetzke, G D (2008)
facing South Africa, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are envisaged as tools
to facilitate policing through crime mapping and analysis. Internationally, GIS has
been widely utilised to supplement crime-fighting strategies (eg. Wendelken, 1995;
Hirshfield et al., 1995; Bowers et al., 2004; Ashby, 2005; Ashby and Longley, 2005);
locally, however, the question remains whether South Africa, and the SAPS, have the
necessary Geographical Information (GI) infrastructure, capacity and knowledge
required to supplement the policing process.
This article is structured into four main sections. The first section provides a brief
history of GIS and policing within South Africa. The second section outlines the
legislative developments that led to the integration and implementation of GIS within
the SAPS. The third section of the paper highlights future possibilities of the
application of GIS in local crime fighting initiatives. The paper concludes by
identifying certain critical success factors for the SAPS if the potential of GIS to
supplement policing is to be fully realised.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF GIS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Zietsman (2002, p.34) reports that despite numerous initiatives by international and
local institutions, GISes “have not really penetrated Africa to any significant degree”
with van Teefelen and Kwant (1999) reporting only 1,3% of all licensed GISes being
located in Africa. South Africa has always been considered more progressive than
other African countries in terms of their use of information and communications
technology (Saint, 1999) and this has partly contributed to the more rapid growth of
GIS in South Africa than in other parts of Africa. The 1980’s in South Africa were
60
