, POL3701 Assignment 2
Semester 2 2025
DUE 8 September 2025
Use this document as a guide and for references to answer your assignment
Questions:
1.1 As the head of Visible Policing at one of the police stations in Gauteng,
discuss how you are going to use and apply the SARA model of analysis to
address cases in your area related to extortion and kidnapping. (20)
The rise in extortion and kidnapping cases, particularly in Gauteng, poses a serious
threat to community safety and national stability. As highlighted by the Police
Minister, these crimes are not just statistics but lived realities that create fear and
undermine social order. To effectively address these challenges, the SARA model
(Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment) provides a structured policing
approach that allows for identifying problems, understanding their root causes,
implementing targeted interventions, and evaluating their impact. Applying this
model helps the police to move from reactive measures to proactive, intelligence-
led strategies that can reduce extortion and kidnapping in affected communities.
1. Scanning (Identifying the Problem)
Problem recognition: Recent statistics show Gauteng as one of the
provinces hardest hit by extortion-related kidnappings and ransom demands.
These are serious crimes that destabilize communities and generate fear.
Patterns and trends: Increase in ransom demands (135 nationally), 30
extortion-related kidnappings, and cases of human trafficking. This suggests
organized crime syndicates and opportunistic criminals are active in the area.
Community concerns: Victims’ families live in fear, businesses may be
targeted for extortion, and the public is losing trust in law enforcement.
Hotspot identification: Use crime mapping and incident reports to locate
neighborhoods or business sectors (e.g., transport operators, construction
projects, small businesses) most affected by extortion and kidnapping.
Semester 2 2025
DUE 8 September 2025
Use this document as a guide and for references to answer your assignment
Questions:
1.1 As the head of Visible Policing at one of the police stations in Gauteng,
discuss how you are going to use and apply the SARA model of analysis to
address cases in your area related to extortion and kidnapping. (20)
The rise in extortion and kidnapping cases, particularly in Gauteng, poses a serious
threat to community safety and national stability. As highlighted by the Police
Minister, these crimes are not just statistics but lived realities that create fear and
undermine social order. To effectively address these challenges, the SARA model
(Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment) provides a structured policing
approach that allows for identifying problems, understanding their root causes,
implementing targeted interventions, and evaluating their impact. Applying this
model helps the police to move from reactive measures to proactive, intelligence-
led strategies that can reduce extortion and kidnapping in affected communities.
1. Scanning (Identifying the Problem)
Problem recognition: Recent statistics show Gauteng as one of the
provinces hardest hit by extortion-related kidnappings and ransom demands.
These are serious crimes that destabilize communities and generate fear.
Patterns and trends: Increase in ransom demands (135 nationally), 30
extortion-related kidnappings, and cases of human trafficking. This suggests
organized crime syndicates and opportunistic criminals are active in the area.
Community concerns: Victims’ families live in fear, businesses may be
targeted for extortion, and the public is losing trust in law enforcement.
Hotspot identification: Use crime mapping and incident reports to locate
neighborhoods or business sectors (e.g., transport operators, construction
projects, small businesses) most affected by extortion and kidnapping.
