Methodology for Compiling Crime Statistics in the

South African Police Service

Briefing to the Portfolio Committee on Police

6 March 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction.

2. Methodology:

Data Collection;

Data Registration;

Crime Classification : Broad Categories;

Periodic Crime Statistics; and

Crime Statistics : Computation.

3. Crime Statistics : Data Sources.

4. Quality Improvement Initiatives.

5. Crime Statistics Management and Policy Enhancement.

6. Issues raised in the previous meeting

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INTRODUCTION: MANDATE

3

Section 218(f) of the Interim Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,

1993 (Act No. 200 of 1993) provides that “subject to the directions of the

Minister of Safety and Security, the National Commissioner will be responsible

for the keeping and provision of crime intelligence data, criminal records and

statistics”.

The above-mentioned section is retained in terms of item 24 of schedule 6 of

the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act No 108 of 1996).

National Instruction 3/2011:

- Provides the crime definitions to be utilised by police officials for purposes of the

opening of case dockets and the registration thereof on the Crime Administration

System (CAS)/Investigation Case Docket Management System (ICDMS).

INTRODUCTION: SCOPE

4

Reported crime that was perpetrated within the borders of South Africa.

All crimes reported at the 1 144 police stations, including satellites and

ports of entry.

All crimes reported by:

- The victim;

- The witness;

- Third parties; and

- Detected by the South African Police Service (SAPS) during any policing

activity.

METHODOLOGY: DATA COLLECTION (1)

Administrative data collection process:

- The process starts with recording criminal incidents;

- The source document used for this purpose is a case docket;

- The first information of crime is obtained from the complainant/victim;

- The Community Service Centre (CSC) Commander, peruses the case docket for

correctness and completeness, before it is registered on the CAS/ICDMS;

General elements of crime:

- The process starts with recording criminal incidents;

- The first statement of crime must contain four elements of crime, namely:

Principle of legality - it must defined explicitly in law as a crime;

Conduct – voluntary human behavior falling within the bounds of an offense recognised in law i,.e.

actual physical act (stabbing a person or stealing a motor vehicle);

Unlawfulness, the conduct contravenes a statutory requirement or a common law rule; and

Culpability – blameworthy state of mind, i.e. intention (to commit the crime) or negligence.

- For the reported crime and incident to be accepted, it must satisfy all four elements of

crime.

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METHODOLOGY: DATA COLLECTION (2)

- Questions asked to obtain all relevant information on the

reported incident, include:

Who was involved (the victim and/or perpetrator);

When and Where the offence was committed;

How did it happen; and

Why was the person reporting the crime there.

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METHODOLOGY: DATA COLLECTION (3)

All crimes reported are recorded:

- Irrespective of when the crimes were committed.

- The elements of crime are assessed to ensure that the correct

classification or “charge” is allocated to the incident.

- The number of counts associated with the identified offence are

then determined.

- Preliminary investigations and inspections on the incident are

conducted to ensure that the information reported is accurate and

complete.

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METHODOLOGY: DATA REGISTRATION

Registration on CAS/ICDMS:

- The information captured in the docket is registered on CAS/ICDMS;

- A case number is automatically generated by CAS/ICDMS; and

- The CSC Commander again checks the correctness and completeness of crime data

on CAS/ICDMS, against the information in the case docket.

Crime Codes and Daily Summary of Serious Crime (DSSC) Codes:

- Charge(s) is/are allocated crime code(s) on CAS/ICDMS;

- Crime codes are aggregated into DSSC Codes; and

- DSSC codes are used for reporting on crime statistics.

Crime Counting Rules:

- The counting unit is a charge: a case docket may contain one or more charges; and

- The released crime statistics represent the number of charges and not the number of

case dockets.

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METHODOLOGY: CRIME CLASSIFICATION - BROAD

CATEGORIES OF CRIME (1)

Purpose:

- Crime is categorised to group crimes with similar characteristics together;

- Clarify the nature of crime and facilitate the understanding of the various crime

categories; and

- To develop policing strategies, specifically focusing on problematic categories, e.g.

TRIO crimes.

Five Broad Crime Categories (The analysis of crime statistics is enabled

by grouping serious crimes into):

- Contact crimes (crimes against the person);

- Contact related crimes;

- Property related crimes;

- Other serious crimes, and

- Crimes dependent on police action for detection.

17 Community-reported

serious crimes

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METHODOLOGY: CRIME CLASSIFICATION - BROAD

CATEGORIES OF CRIME (2)

17 Community-Reported Serious Crimes

Contact Crimes

Murder

Sexual offences

Attempted murder

Assault GBH

Common assault

Common robbery

Robbery aggravated

including the following

TRIO Crimes: - Carjacking

- Robbery – residential

- Robbery – non-residential

Contact-related

Crimes

Arson

Malicious

damage to

property

Property-related

Crimes

Burglary at

residential

premises

Burglary at non-

residential

premises

Theft of motor

vehicle and motor

cycle

Theft out of or

from motor

vehicle

Stock theft

Other Serious

Crimes

Other theft

Commercial

crime

Shoplifting

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METHODOLOGY: CRIME CLASSIFICATION - BROAD

CATEGORIES OF CRIME (3) 11

Four Crimes detected as result of police action

Illegal Possession of firearm and ammunition.

Drug-related Crimes.

Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Sexual offences detected as a result of police action.

METHODOLOGY: PERIODIC CRIME STATISTICS (1)

All crimes recorded at the stations within a particular cluster,

should collectively add up to the total of the crimes recorded

in that cluster.

The crimes recorded in the clusters within a province, should

collectively add up to the total crimes in that province.

The crime recorded in the nine provinces should collectively

add up to the national total.

12

Daily crime statistics:

- Reported crime is discussed at the Station Crime Combating Forum (SCCF) on

a daily basis and weekly at the Cluster Crime Combating Forum (CCCF).

- The Crime Information Management Analysis Centre (CIMAC) at the station,

advises station management on crimes incorrectly registered, incorrectly

mapped, incorrect crime counts and the daily crime pattern analysis.

- The daily statistics are used for operational planning and to direct the

deployment of resources.

- The statistics are distributed to internal stakeholders only.

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METHODOLOGY: PERIODIC CRIME STATISTICS (2)

Monthly crime statistics:

- Reported crime is discussed at the Provincial Crime Combating Form (PCCF) on a

monthly basis.

- The Provincial Head: Crime Registrar advises provincial management on crime

incorrectly registered, incorrect crime counts and the monthly crime pattern analysis.

- The National Crime Registrar will then draw a “snap-shot” of all crimes registered

in all provinces to brief the National Crime Combating Forum (NCCF) on the crime

situation.

- The snap-shot is drawn once all the station crime information has synchronised on

the Crime Management Information System (CMIS).

- The statistics are also distributed to internal stakeholders only.

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METHODOLOGY: PERIODIC CRIME STATISTICS (3)

Quarterly crime statistics:

- Reported crime is discussed at the NCCF and National

Management Form (NMF) on a quarterly basis.

- The snap-shot is drawn once all the station crime information has

synchronised.

- This snap shot will be frozen for the quarter and be used to

produce the preliminary quarterly crime reports.

- The quarterly statistics are compared to the same period in the

previous financial year.

- These quarterly crime reports are disseminated to the public,

subsequent to the submission of the statistics to Cabinet.

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METHODOLOGY: PERIODIC CRIME STATISTICS (4)

Annual crime statistics:

- At end of each financial year, a re-draw of the crime statistics is

performed, allowing all amendments to reflect in the annual crime

statistics.

The quarterly crime statistics from the redrawn statistics might differ

slightly from the frozen quarterly crime statistics.

- Cases closed off as unfounded are subtracted from the redrawn

annual crime statistics.

- The statistics are then used in the compilation of the annual Crime

Statistics Report.

- The annual Crime Statistics Report is disseminated to the public.

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METHODOLOGY: PERIODIC CRIME STATISTICS (5)

Crime ratios will be used to compute crime rates only for crimes

against a person.

The crime ratios are used to compare crime rates for equal portions of

the population. (e.g. per 100 000 population).

This enables the comparison of crime rate to population increase per

province.

The crime ratios are computed at national and provincial levels due

to misalignment of station boundaries with those of the enumeration

area.

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METHODOLOGY: CRIME RATIOS

Crime ratio:

- Computed as follows:

Crime ratio =𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞

𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐱 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝟎𝟎𝟎.

Percentage change:

- Percentage change involves determining if a crime has increased or

decreased, compared to the corresponding period.

Percentage Change =Past figure−Current figure

Past Figure 𝑥 100.

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METHODOLOGY: CRIME RATIOS/PERCENTAGE CHANGE

CRIME STATISTICS : DATA SOURCES

CAS/ICDMS:

- CAS/ICDMS is the main source of data, a live system, therefore information is

updated frequently.

- Other sub-systems extract information from CAS/ICDMS.

The extracted information is restructured into a more presentable and user-friendly

format, for example using the Geographical Information System (GIS), Management

Information System, etc.

Crime Information Management System (CIMS) or SAPS 6:

- Used to archive synchronised reported crime data and data regarding case

progress on a monthly basis.

- Division: Technology Management Services (TMS) provides this information to

Crime Registrar on monthly basis.

Statistics South Africa:

- Provides quarterly and annual population estimates.

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QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES

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Crime Data Quality Management:

- To enhance the crime statistics quality at station level, the CIMAC conducts daily

quality checks. Any discrepancies are discussed and rectified at the SCCF.

- The Provincial Crime Registrar oversees the process and conducts quality assurance

checks at sampled stations.

- The National Crime Registrar : Quality Assurance Sub-section, performs the same

function.

- A Technical Working Team (TWT) was established based on Memorandum of

Agreement (MoU) between Statistics SA and the SAPS.

- The TWT is responsible for :

Quality assessments of the annual crime statistics prior to release.

Implementation of actions to address quality concerns and recommendations.

The previous two annual Crime Statistics Reports were quality assessed and the

process endorsed, by the Statistician General.

The Crime Registrar is developing policies and standards covering the

whole statistical value chain of crime statistics production.

Approved policies include:

- Policy on Crime Statistics; and

- Fundamentals of Crime Statistics Analysis.

Draft annexures to the policies include:

- Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes;

- Crime Counting Rules;

- Standard Guidelines on Crime Registrar Station Products;

- Standard Operating Procedure on Crime Registrar Station Products;

- Dissemination and Revision Polices;

- Crime statistics User Guide; and

- Quality Assurance Framework.

CRIME STATISTICS MANAGEMENT AND POLICY

ENHANCEMENT 21

The role of the Station Commander in the Crime Recording Process, in line

with National Instruction 3 of 2011

The CSC Commander must ensure that -

(a) the information relating to the case has been correctly captured on CAS.

(b) complete and detailed information regarding the circumstances of the crime have

been correctly captured on CAS function 8.1.1.1.

(c) the case docket has been transferred on CAS to the detective service for further

investigation, and that a member of the detective service acknowledged receipt for

the docket on CAS.

ISSUES RAISED IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING

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The role of the Station Commander in the Crime Recording Process, in line

with National Instruction 3 of 2011

(e) a case docket that must be registered and investigated at another police station is,

as soon as reasonably possible, transferred physically and on CAS to that station.

(f) if the CAS is off-line or not in operation, all newly reported case dockets are

recorded manually on a SAPS 441 form, so that the information recorded on the

SAPS 441 form can be captured on CAS, when CAS becomes operational.

(5) The CSC Commander must ensure that the case docket is handed over to

the data typist, or member who is responsible for the capturing of case

dockets on CAS and that the member or data typist is informed what and

how many charges to capture on CAS.

ISSUES RAISED IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING

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The role of the Crime Information Office (CIO)/CIMAC, in line with National

Instruction 3 of 2011

The CIO must:

(a) conduct daily case docket analysis and systems audit to collect information

regarding reported crime;

(b) compile a Crime Pattern Analysis and Crime Threat Analysis on the reported crimes;

(c) identify flashpoints or hot spots in the station area on each category of crime

features; and

(d) establish the relationship between the flashpoints or hot spots and certain

geographical features (eg. highways, open areas or patches of veld, the location of

train stations, taxi-ranks, shebeens, taverns, nightclubs, etc.).

ISSUES RAISED IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING

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The CIO also have to do field work and this includes the following:

(a) Visiting flashpoints or hot spots at peak times of occurrence of identified

crimes to identify environmental factors (both physical and social) that

may cause or be conclusive to the specific crime being committed in that

area. Photographs of these features must be taken.

(b) Interview people at these flashpoints or hot spots (as well as victims and

witnesses) in order to determine why these localities are conducive to this

specific crimes.

(c) Visiting of crime scenes that are possibly linked to any series of crimes that

were identified through linkage analysis.

ISSUES RAISED IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING

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(d) Interviewing of suspects or suspects already in custody, within the

constraints of the law and in consultation with the investigating officers.

(e) Interviewing all the investigating officers of a crime series in order to alert

them regarding possible linkages of their cases and to obtain more details

and information which could serve to confirm or deny the linkages between

specific cases.

ISSUES RAISED IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING

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The CIO also has to brief members on shifts or reliefs (both in the

CSC and on patrol duties) before they report on duty and also debrief

them when they report off duty.

(g) The briefing sessions must include information, pertaining to flashpoints or

hot spots and peak times of occurrence of the identified crimes. It should

also focus on commonalities or common characteristics of cases and

descriptions of suspects and suspicious vehicles.

(h) The CSC personnel must be present in order to address problems that the

CIO experiences with the correctness and completeness of the capturing

of crime information on CAS.

ISSUES RAISED IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING 27

CRIME RECORDING PRIOR TO COMPLETION OF

ADJUDICATION PROCESS (ADVANTAGES AND

DISADVANTAGES) 28

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Confirmed crime incidents only

registered in crime database

All incidents irrespective of validity is

registered in crime database

Unfounded cases eliminated prior to

registration in the crime database

Unfounded cases removed after

investigations is completed

Accurate and responsive utilisation

of resources to combat crime

Ill-informed utilisation of resources

to combat crime

Accurately depict the true picture of

crime at a glance

Prone to abuse - legitimate crime

incidents disposed as unfounded

Thank You