, POL3701 ASSIGNMENT 2 SEMESTER 2 2025 ANSWERS
DUE DATE: 08 SEPTEMBER 2025
1.1 Application of the SARA Model of Analysis to Address Extortion and Kidnapping
As the head of Visible Policing in a Gauteng police station, the SARA problem-solving
model (Scanning, Analysis, Response and Assessment) provides a structured framework to
confront the rising cases of extortion and kidnapping, particularly in the context highlighted
by Minister Mchunu, where contact crimes undermine community safety and stability. The
first step, Scanning, involves systematically identifying and defining the problem of
extortion-related kidnappings and ransom demands within the station’s jurisdiction. This
requires a process of gathering data from official crime statistics, community complaints,
incident reports and intelligence sources to establish the scale and pattern of the problem.
For instance, establishing whether kidnappings are clustered in particular areas, such as
business districts or transport hubs, will help in identifying hotspots and repeat victimisation
patterns. Moreover, community feedback through sector policing forums and community
policing partnerships will provide qualitative insights into citizens’ experiences of intimidation,
fear and financial losses due to extortion syndicates. Scanning, therefore, allows the station
to move beyond treating individual cases as isolated incidents and to conceptualise them as
part of a broader, systemic problem that requires strategic intervention (Eck & Spelman,
2017; Ponsaers, 2015).
Following the identification of the problem, the Analysis phase requires a deeper
interrogation of the underlying causes, contributing factors and dynamics of extortion and
kidnapping cases. This step involves gathering intelligence from multiple sources, such as
victim statements, closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, informants, cellphone records,
financial tracing, and collaboration with specialised units like the Directorate for Priority
Crime Investigation (Hawks) and the Financial Intelligence Centre. The analysis must
distinguish between opportunistic kidnappings carried out by small groups and organised
syndicate-driven extortion networks, as these require different policing responses. In
Gauteng, where socio-economic inequalities intersect with high urbanisation, unemployment
and gang activity, kidnappings often serve both as a quick means of illicit financial gain and
as a method of territorial control by syndicates. Furthermore, the analysis must examine
police response times, investigative capacity, and possible corruption vulnerabilities that may
be exploited by organised criminal groups. By applying crime pattern theory and routine
activity theory, officers can identify how offenders exploit predictable routines of victims (for
example, business owners or high-net-worth individuals) and how police can intervene by
DUE DATE: 08 SEPTEMBER 2025
1.1 Application of the SARA Model of Analysis to Address Extortion and Kidnapping
As the head of Visible Policing in a Gauteng police station, the SARA problem-solving
model (Scanning, Analysis, Response and Assessment) provides a structured framework to
confront the rising cases of extortion and kidnapping, particularly in the context highlighted
by Minister Mchunu, where contact crimes undermine community safety and stability. The
first step, Scanning, involves systematically identifying and defining the problem of
extortion-related kidnappings and ransom demands within the station’s jurisdiction. This
requires a process of gathering data from official crime statistics, community complaints,
incident reports and intelligence sources to establish the scale and pattern of the problem.
For instance, establishing whether kidnappings are clustered in particular areas, such as
business districts or transport hubs, will help in identifying hotspots and repeat victimisation
patterns. Moreover, community feedback through sector policing forums and community
policing partnerships will provide qualitative insights into citizens’ experiences of intimidation,
fear and financial losses due to extortion syndicates. Scanning, therefore, allows the station
to move beyond treating individual cases as isolated incidents and to conceptualise them as
part of a broader, systemic problem that requires strategic intervention (Eck & Spelman,
2017; Ponsaers, 2015).
Following the identification of the problem, the Analysis phase requires a deeper
interrogation of the underlying causes, contributing factors and dynamics of extortion and
kidnapping cases. This step involves gathering intelligence from multiple sources, such as
victim statements, closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, informants, cellphone records,
financial tracing, and collaboration with specialised units like the Directorate for Priority
Crime Investigation (Hawks) and the Financial Intelligence Centre. The analysis must
distinguish between opportunistic kidnappings carried out by small groups and organised
syndicate-driven extortion networks, as these require different policing responses. In
Gauteng, where socio-economic inequalities intersect with high urbanisation, unemployment
and gang activity, kidnappings often serve both as a quick means of illicit financial gain and
as a method of territorial control by syndicates. Furthermore, the analysis must examine
police response times, investigative capacity, and possible corruption vulnerabilities that may
be exploited by organised criminal groups. By applying crime pattern theory and routine
activity theory, officers can identify how offenders exploit predictable routines of victims (for
example, business owners or high-net-worth individuals) and how police can intervene by
