For those of you who listened to the Redi Thlabi show on Cape Talk/Radio 702 this morning (1/11/11), you would have heard the comments made by David Klatzow in respect of DNA Profiling in South Africa as well the responses called in by Carolyn Hancock and Vanessa Lynch to those issues. Here are the two clips to the show if you missed them, the interview starts on clip 1 from 12:15 and continues through the entire second clip. Or you can listen to the podcast here. We would like to hear from you. Did you agree with Klatzow? Please, post your comments below.

Redi Thlabi

These are some of the points which need to be considered:
1. Whilst we agree that everyone is entitled to their own point of view and open debate is essential in our society, we believe that the interview was not balanced and that Klatzow mislead the public on a number of issues. These include:

• It was never mentioned that South Africa does already have a DNA Database – there are 133 000 profiles on this database which is held by the Forensic Science Laboratory (a division of SAPS).

• Klatzow mentioned the “fabrication” of DNA evidence and the technology (PCR) which can be used to make multiple copies of DNA. Yes, this technology does exist but PCR is not used to make copies of the entire genetic makeup of an individual. To the best of our knowledge, no one has actually MADE DNA and then taken it to plant at a crime scene….. this is misleading to the public. IF someone had access to a vial of blood they could potentially use that to plant at a scene BUT any type of evidence e.g. a weapon, fingerprints etc can all potentially be planted at a scene. DNA is only one form of evidence in a case and no judge would convict someone on the basis of evidence that could not be substantiated.  Furthermore, criminals would generally not have access to technology such as PCR and certainly not your average police officer arriving at a scene – all of whom were made out to seem corrupt and incompetent in the interview.

• A DNA profile for forensic use and entry onto the Database does not contain any personal information -it is simply a list of numbers used as a unique identifier. This list of numbers is all that is kept in a database. If a match is made between a profile on the database (suspect) and a crime scene profile then the investigating officer would be informed and a fresh sample taken from the suspect to verify the results.

• The results produced at the State DNA Laboratory are highly reliable and seldom contested in court. We have highly trained personnel who are extremely competent and work tirelessly, for very little, to produce these results.

• David Klatzow seemed to know very little about the current legislation before Parliament where many of the issues he raised are being debated. He implied that this debate needs to be started….. it started in 2008 when the draft Bill was first considered. The issues have even been publicly debated in Parliament.  The DNA project made a submission, as did the NPA and the Human Rights Commission amongst others. Klatzow however, was not there. Just last week two separate conferences on Forensic Science and the use of DNA were held in Pretoria and once again independent stakeholders, SAPS, public prosecutors and international experts in the field attended – and debated relevant issues. Dr. Klatzow was not there.

• There is currently no backlog of DNA cases where the State has a suspect. The Biology Unit has been working extremely hard to effectively reduce this backlog. It should not be confused with the backlog at the at the toxicology lab which falls under the Department of Health.

Whilst we totally agree that the police services require additional training on crime scene preservation we believe that they are currently involved with numerous training initiatives and are aware of the problem. Simply throwing one’s hands in the air and declaring the entire police force incompetent is not a constructive solution to the problem. The DNA Project is currently conducting crime scene awareness training for all people who may be the first at a scene, including security guards and paramedics. We have also been instrumental in developing a specialised postgraduate degree for the training of forensic DNA analysts. This degree is already offered at 3 Universities in the country and in this way some capacity issues are being addressed.

Yes, there are a number of issues which need to be considered, including crime scene management and the proper collection of evidence, and the management and administration of the database. All these are critically important.

However, we were saddened by what was a biased interview which did not fully highlight the positive developments in the country, the incredible work done by many State employees and the lack clarification of some of the facts above.

Unfortunately crime in South Africa is an emotive issue – it affects us all and criminals need to be held accountable for there actions. DNA is one of the most effective tools at our disposal to objectively link a suspect to a scene – let’s not cloud people’s judgement by dwelling on the negative – we need to come up with constructive solutions to the unacceptably high levels of crime in our beautiful country.

This is a recent Cape Times article which highlights the numbers of Serial Rapists in South Africa and the number SAPS guys tracking down these rapists. In a country where a woman or child is raped every 26 seconds, we need more people tackling these type of crimes, and once the DNA database is running effectively, it can be used as another powerful weapon in their arsenal.

Johannes Jacobus Steyn's first appearance in Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court, where he faces a number of rape and murder charges.

THERE are roughly 1 500 serial rapists in the country, who have been active during the past three years – and these are just the ones the police are aware of.

But, despite the overwhelming number of cases, there are only five specialised police officers countrywide dedicated to investigating these types of criminals, says Gérard Labuschagne, head of the police’s investigative psychology section.

Situated in Pretoria and falling under the police’s forensic sciences division, the section probes psychologically-motivated crimes including muti murders, other unusual murders, serial killings and serial rapes. At any given time the section, which is stretched to capacity, is investigating a number of criminals around the country.

“When we detect some cases, we forward them on because there are too many for us to get involved in,” Labuschagne said in an exclusive telephone interview permitted by the national police.

“We’re always busy. There’s never a moment we’re not busy with a serial case in the country.”

In recent cases the section has dealt with, Thabo Bester, who became known as the “Facebook rapist”, was arrested two weeks ago and pleaded guilty to raping two models in Durban in August.

He was sentenced to 50 years imprisonment and faces more charges in Cape Town and Gauteng.

On Monday, Johannes Jacobus Steyn admitted to being the “Sunday rapist” who preyed on young girls in Gauteng and North West.

He also faces additional charges including 13 counts of rape, one of murder and 10 of kidnapping.

Labuschagne said there were currently about 1 500 serial rapists on the police’s database.

Some of these were still on the loose, some were in police custody awaiting trial and others may have been convicted. “But it’s impossible to know exactly how many (serial rapists) there actually are. We always assume there are more,” Labuschagne said.

All the 1 500 serial rapists on the database had committed a rape within the past three years.

Labuschagne said rapists were usually tracked using DNA samples and were classified as serial after committing two rapes.

“DNA is the easiest way to track them. When a case is opened we check at neighbouring police stations to see if there are similar cases. We look in other areas only if there’s a reason to look in that specific area,” he said.

Labuschagne said the police had a serial DNA unit in their forensics laboratory which had the list of serial rapists.

DNA samples of suspected rapists were tested and this was how more incidents could be linked to the rapists already on the list, or more names were added to it.

When the DNA unit had a “double hit” – when the DNA sample of a rapist matched another sample – he was classified as a serial rapist and investigations into his actions were intensified.

Labuschagne said there tended to be more serial rapists in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. He did not know why.

He said the Western Cape had also had its share of serial rapists.

But he said up until about a year ago it had been difficult to track serial rapists operating in the Western Cape as officers in the police’s Western Cape Forensic Science Laboratory had only tested certain victims’ samples.

Usually, when a rape survivor was sexually assaulted and the matter was reported to the police, a sexual assault kit was compiled.

Samples, including bodily fluids forming part of the kit, were then tested and those results could then be matched to a blood sample taken from the rape suspect, linking a suspect to a rape survivor.

Labuschagne said previously, sexual assault kits from survivors in cases where a suspect had not been identified, had not been processed in the province’s forensics laboratory.

“The thinking was, if you don’t have a suspect why process that sample,” Labuschagne said.

He said this had changed in the past year when a new police officer had been put in charge of the laboratory, and now all samples were processed.

This made it easier to link suspects to cases, and police could therefore see if they could be regarded as serial rapists.

Labuschagne said aside from serial rapists, the investigative psychology section probed serial killers. “If there’s a murder series (a serial killer), no matter how busy we are we always get involved,” he said.

In Labuschagne’s 10 years in the investigative psychology section he said he had probed more than 70 serial murder cases and 200 serial rape cases.

Members of his section went out and helped detectives investigate a specific crime. They generally did not take over the investigation, but assisted and guided where they could.

Labuschagne said he hoped satellite stations, branching from the investigative psychology section, would be established in the provinces during the next two years as this would ease the section’s workload.

He said he was involved in training other police officers and once a year gave short presentations to detectives to sensitise them to the crimes they were likely to investigate.

University of Cape Town is launching a new MSc (Med) (Biomedical Forensic Science) in 2012. This is a first for any South African University and a qualification sorely needed in South Africa. Graduates will be part of a selected group of Scientists with advanced training, laboratory and legal expertise who can manage and develop forensic laboratories as well as conduct high impact research.  As is well-known, there is a dearth of forensic scientists in the country and while the state forensic science laboratories are trying to cope with the workload, the staff seldom has the time or the training to conduct high quality scientific research.  There is a definite need to establish forensic research units in the various disciplines that constitute the complex field of forensics. Tertiary institutions are ideally suited to conduct such high impact research and train these much needed scientists.

The programme UCT will be launching in 2012 is an integrated, multidisciplinary Master’s course and will address the lack of post graduate trained forensic scientists as well as provide the foundation for research in this field from a South African perspective.

Admission requirements: BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biology or Physical Anthropology, Human Genetics or an approved alternative 4-years BSc (or equivalent) or expert in field (RPL)

Length: 2 years Full Time or 4 years Part Time

Purpose:

• To equip students with advanced scientific knowledge, laboratory and legal expertise and leadership skills at an MSc level. • To equip students with research skills to contribute to the national and international body of research in laboratories, death and crime scenes.

Modules:

Forensic Pathology: cause of death; theories of crime and victimisation; criminal justice system; expert witness testifying.

Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology: retrieval and study of human remains;  decomposition of soft and hard tissue; archaeological protocols;identification of age, sex and biographic features of human skeletons.

Forensic Toxicology: appropriate toxicological specimen collection; transport, preparation, analysis of most major toxic agents; reporting on findings.

Molecular Forensics: DNA analysis of crime scenes; quality assurance in molecular forensic laboratories; knowledge to provide expert molecular testimony; microbial pathogenesis and bioterrorism.

Applied Forensic Science: integrate and apply knowledge gained to case simulations from a crime or death scene through to the courtroom appearance.

Quantitative Research Methodology: prepare research proposals; use quantitative methods; cooperate as a team in research protocol development.

Minor Research Dissertation: select a topic in which he/she has a particular interest.

Click here for more information, or if you interested in applying for this MSc, please contact Dr Marise Heynsat UCT on marise.heyns@uct.ac.za or tel (021) 406 6604.

The DNA Project prides itself in reaching the public and first responders at a crime scene to make sure they understand the importance of protecting the evidence left behind. Most notably is our new ‘Train the Trainer’ course which is a full day programme developed to educate trainers from various institutions on how to teach crime scene preservation by giving them the background knowledge to allow them to integrate this information into their own course work.

Grant with the paramedics from the College of Emergency Care

These past couple months we have spoken to 1269 people in KZN, Gauteng and Western Cape., of those, 433 were from SAPS and 240 metro police officers, the rest comprise paramedics, security personnel and ordinary citizens. With us reaching this already large number of people being trained on a regular basis, once the ‘Train the Trainer’ workshops are up and running the amount of people trained in crime scene preservation can only increase.

Workshops are not the only thing The DNA Project focuses on: one of our main concerns is the change required in legislation which will allow the police to finally use a National DNA Database as an effective criminal intelligence tool. We are still awaiting the final report on Portfolio Committee’s international fact finding mission from over 3 months ago. You can rest assured that we will continue to put pressure on the committee until this information is finally released at whch time we shall be reporting back on their findings.

Additionally, Vanessa Lynch and Carolyn Hancock will be presenting at the 3rd Annual African DNA Forensics Conference in Pretoria at the end of the month.

With such a strong body of highly qualified professionals working for the DNA Project, we can only reach more and more people every single day, making sure that the average South African citizen as well as first responders are aware of the importance DNA evidence in catching and convicting criminals.

Grant Godsmark

Watch Derek Watts on SuperCycling (SuperSport 5, Channel 205) this Tuesday, 27 September 2011 at 19:00 when he talks about his adventures on the Change a Life Cycle to the Wild West 2011.

The 2011 ‘Wild West’ Change a Life Cycle Race which was held in Namibia in September is now over, and from all accounts it was one of the most successful yet.  This event, organised by our most generous sponsor, The Change a Life Trust, has raised approximately R3 million every year since the inaugural cycle which took place in 2008.

Rebroadcast schedule

Wednesday, 28 September 2011
SuperSport 2, Channel 202 at 00:40 and 08:30
SuperSport 6, Channel 206 at 14:00

Thursday, 29 September 2011
SuperSport 2, Channel 202 at 13:40

Friday, 30 September 2011
SuperSport 7, Channel 207 at 22:00

Vanessa & The DNA Project Team

Will a DNA database curb South Africa’s crime problem? This loaded topic was one of the two topics in the preliminary rounds of the SAASTA national Schools Debate Competition. The competition comprised of ten teams in each province debating in the model UN style. One team from each province moved onto the final in Johannesburg where the winners would win a trip to New York next year.

Discussion during the Grahamstown debate

The DNA Project had representative’s at each of the preliminary debates as the ‘experts’ to discern whether the ‘facts’ presented were indeed facts. After initial statements and rebuttals, the 10 groups had to come up with a draft conference paper, either for or against the topic. Not only were these draft papers very informative, it showed a great insight into the topics, with the knowledge and understanding presented at an extremely high level.

From an economic standpoint, one school highlighted that with the DNA database, crime rates would decrease, thereby making South Africa a safer attraction, thus increasing the number of tourist which would bring more income into our country. Below are some quotes from the conference papers.

“We have discovered through extensive research and communication that this will have positive outcomes to our economy as our reputation as a tourism spot and a good investment will increase and more employment opportunities will be made available and the curbing of crime unlocks the door to all these opportunities.” – Mafikeng High

“ We are aware of the major issue that the society has, which is the issue of the violation of privacy. Having we examined the process of DNA profiling, the process doesn’t in any way reveal personal information such as where you live [..or any inheritable genetic diseases]. The database only promotes advancements in economy, science and society. Noting with approval that this promotes employment, this leads to a happier society. We believe that this will bring down the barrier between the rich and the poor.” – Mafikeng High

The winner for best speaker from Hudson Park High School

Another example of the insight these schools had, one group insisted on an independent auditor of the process to eliminate any corruption.

With this level of knowledge displayed by kids ranging from grade 9 to 11, there is no excuse for ignorance in parliament or the committee on the importance of having a DNA database.

Having personally been to three of the debates throughout South Africa, we can rest assured that the fate of our future scientific endeavors are in safe hands.

Grant Godsmark

This article first appeared in The Mercury Monday 19th Septmeber 2011, written by ‘Stop Crime, Stay Hello’

At last we have some good news on the crime front. The recently released statistics reveal that murder has dropped by 53% in 15 years, house robberies are down by 10% in the past year alone and hijackings have decreased by a massive 23%. Some categories are up, but for the most part, these statistics are very encouraging.
Having celebrated – and celebrate we should – the question we must ask is how do we ensure that these decreases in crime are sustained? What are the obstacles to further successes in the future?

One of the biggest obstacles is the misconception that decreases in crime levels are simply due to the work of the police. This misconception is dangerous because it negates or rather nullifies the critical role that civil society – you and I – must play in the ‘fight against crime.’

Civil society’s role is twofold. On the one hand we must become an extension of the South African Police Force. This means that we must obey the law and report crime when we see it. The fashionable expression for this is that we must become ‘the eyes and ears of the police’.

On the other hand, we must become an extension of the Department of Social Development; helping to improve the quality of life and well-being of others and guiding those in our social, work or family sphere away from crime and towards lawfulness.

A good illustration of the respective roles of the police and Social Development concerns the issue of murder. Well over 80% of murder is committed between people who know each other personally. This means that, 8 times out of 10, murders takes place in homes, workplaces and social settings. They are often fuelled by alcohol and/or drugs. The police aren’t in our home, our factories or our local bars. We are. We need to take greater responsibility for the social issues that are so often leading to violent crime.

My point here is certainly not to knock the work of our police. I am the first to advocate that we need to support our heroes and heroines in blue far more than we do. My point is that there is more to defeating crime than policing. If we are to see further significant reductions in crime – reductions that we still desperately need – we must understand our role beyond sitting on the sidelines cheering the cops on. We must step up to the plate.

The importance of this cannot be overstated. In South Africa we have approximately 200 000 police but only around 12 000 social workers. This means that there is more capacity to fight crime than to prevent it from happening in the first place.

This is where we can help. With this few social workers, community groups, charities, faith based organisations, companies and individuals need to play a bigger role in uplifting communities and improving people’s lives. This is particularly needed amongst vulnerable young people in order to divert them from a life of crime.

So what have you and I done to contribute to these decreases in crime levels, or rather, what more can we be doing in order that these levels decrease still further?

Over the years, we South Africans have become gatvol with crime. This has prompted us to form various civil society groups; anti-crime campaigns, Community Police Forums, neighbourhood watches, private security companies, and other nongovernmental initiatives.

These organizations have their roots in our communities. They are made up of ordinary men and women concerned for the wellbeing and safety of their families and homes. These men and women are often where the police aren’t. They are our neighbours, our colleagues, our friends and our family members. They are you and I.

The correlation between significant drops in crime and significant increases in public awareness and community initiatives of this nature cannot be ignored.  In fact, civil society must be seen as the secret weapon in the creation of a safe and peaceful South Africa.

Flipside tip of the week:

We will see further significant decreases in crime levels when we, as civil society, take joint responsibility with the police for crime. We can do this in a number of ways; by becoming an active participant in our local Community Policing Forum (CPF), by committing to obeying the law ourselves (including the laws of the road) and by becoming the eyes and ears of the police, reporting all crime to 10111.

In addition to this, we must work to uplift people and guide them into lawful lives.  This can be done by mentoring a young person, talking with staff about the benefits of lawfulness and helping people to break free of addictions to drugs and alcohol. Such actions have a profound social impact and help to create an environment in which peace and safety can flourish.

Below is an extract from the remarks recorded from the Minister of Police, E.N. Mthethwa, MP on the occasion of the release of the National Crime Statistics on the 8 Sep 2011.

Click here to read the SA Crime Report 2010/2011
08 September 2011

2011 remains “A Year of Action: Ensuring That All People In South Africa Are, and Feel Safe.”

The current government has identified five key priorities and amongst them, is the issue of fighting crime and fighting the causes of crime.

In brief, our programme in this period consists of achieving better policing, a better-trained and efficient criminal justice system, involvement of society in the fight against crime, and a campaign to refurbish the moral fibre of the South African society.

In dealing with issues of crime, the government proceeds from a premise that: a rising quality of life also means improvement in the safety and security of citizens in their homes and environs where they live, work and engage in extramural activity.

The battle against crime cannot be separated from the war on want. In the main, incidents of contact crime such as murder, grievous bodily harm and rape occur among acquaintances in poor communities where living and entertainment environments do not allow for decent family and social life.

The release of the South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics for the period 1st April 2010 to 31 March 2011 cannot be equated to an occasion about statistics, numerics and graphs; rather as a reflection on the path we have traversed in the past twelve months.

This occasion affords us to gauge whether the strategies and systems we put in place are yielding the desired positive results.  The fundamental aim of our government is therefore to build a society where people will enjoy a dignified, improving quality of life and freedom.  However crime stands in direct opposite of achieving this goal.

Inevitably, freedom does not create itself.  Crime does not simply disappear; we must create conditions that will make crime disappear. This requires a concerted, united action by all South Africans.

The crime statistics for 2010/11 that are being released here today clearly show that we are making progress in some areas, there are instance where we are reaching stability and there are types of crimes which are still a challenge.  To this end, it is important to emphasize that our crime statistics have been audited.

We also engaged a number of different role-players to compare their experiences with regard to certain crime types. We have noted that there is convergence on our crime statistics with the stakeholders, in this field be they business, tracking and insurance.

Decrease in Contact Crime (Crimes against the person)
Contact crime is an area of crime which by its nature leads to serious feelings of fears of insecurity because it is this form of crime with which violence is normally associated. This contact crime also accounts for roughly one third of all crimes.

We are therefore encouraged to see that, for the 2010/11 financial year, contact crime generally decreased by 6,9% and that all provinces with the exception of North West and Western Cape, showed a decline in this form of crime.  In fact all seven categories of contact crime witnessed a decline (this refers to murder, attempted murder, sexual offenses, assault Grievous Bodily Harm, assault common, aggravated robbery and common robbery).

Decrease in Trio Crimes
Linked to the decrease in contact crime are the successes we achieved with regard to the trio crimes (that is house robberies, business robberies and vehicles hijacking)  and we note in a positive light the 10,7% decrease in trio crimes.

Decrease in Murder
Murder is one of the most reliable form of crime statistics and during 2010/11 the figure has dropped below the 16 000 figure; with 15 940 cases being recorded.  We are encouraged to see the murder ratio decreasing by 6,5%.

It is perhaps worth mentioning that during the 1994/95 period our murder ratio as a country stood at 27 000.  We further recognize that dealing with this sort of crime is not only dependent on police but it is a societal challenge which requires a coordinated effort.  These continuous reductions in murder indicate that government is succeeding in its efforts.

Decrease in Attempted Murder
During the 2009/10 financial year as we reported, attempted murder decreased by 6,1% and we are pleased to see a further improvement in this category. During the 2010/11 financial year, we have witnessed a 12,2% decrease in this category.

Decrease in Sexual Offences
One area that still requires our attention is that of sexual offenses. While we are happy that this category generally has declined over the last two years, were remain concerned about the number of rapes that occur in the country.

During the fiscal under review, the sexual offences ratio decreased by 3,1%. The number of reported cases of rape still remains unacceptably high; especially in lieu of the fact that such crimes have a lifetime negative on victims.  In addition we need to ensure that victims of such crimes feel safe.

Rape increased from 55 097 to 56 272 cases and we cannot seriously say we are winning the war against rape.  We have however taken various steps in addressing this scourge.

The re-introduction of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences units throughout the country over the last financial year provides us with the platform on which to ensure crimes against women and children are adequately addressed by the police.

But the reality is that rape, based on international trends, is often under-reported but as we continue to improve our Criminal Justice System, we could see more reporting by victims.  After all, the eradication of violence targeted at women and children remains one of our key priorities.

Decrease in Assault with intent to inflict GBH
During our reporting back to the nation last year, we announced that this category had experienced a 0,5% decrease.  During the 2010/11 financial year, we have seen a further decrease with a 4,5% ratio on the assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.

Decrease in Aggravated Robberies
We are encouraged by the constant decline in aggravated robberies over the last two years.  We believe that some of our initiatives in addressing this form of crime are starting to yield success but we shall continue to work harder and smarter, to reduce this form of crime.  During the current fiscal the robbery with aggravating circumstances ratio decreased by 12,0%.

We believe that improvements in both our detection and conviction rates are as significant contributing factor to this decline; as is our approach to increasing police visibility and targeted visible police interventions. In addition the strong emphasis we have placed on building partnerships has also impacted positively on such crimes.

Decrease in House Robberies
Two years ago when we released our 2008/09 crime statistics, we expressed concerns regarding house robberies, which had increased dramatically.

At the time we committed ourselves to developing and implementing measures to reduce house robberies. Last year this form of crime began to show signs of stabilizing as we began to avert the continued steep and upward trend.

During the 2010/11 financial year for the first time in since 2004 the number of recorded cases started to decline significantly, with a 10,1%, from 18 786 reported cases last year to 16 889 cases for the fiscal under review.

Our engagement with the Insurance industry reflects that they too have started to witness the impact of this decline.  According to the South African Insurance Crime Bureau different insurance companies are experiencing a decline in the range of between 4% and 31%.

Decrease in Car Hijackings
Another area where the tide is beginning to turn against criminals is in the area of car hijackings.  For the last three years this form of crime was starting to gradually increase.

Over the last two years we have been able not only to stabilize this form of crime but our figures for 2010/11 are the lowest seen since 2003/04.  For the first time in eight years the figure has dropped below 10 700.  For the 2010/11 financial year, car hijacking decreased by 23,6%.

During engagements with both Tracker companies and the South African Insurance Crime Bureau they indicated that they were also experiencing significant decline in cases of theft of vehicles.

Decrease in Truck Hijackings
During the 2010/11 financial year, truck hijackings decreased by 29,2% with 413 cases recorded in comparison with a 1,7% the previous financial year, that is, 2009/10.

Decrease in Burglary at Residential Premises
During the 2009/10 financial year, the burglary at residential premises ratio increased by 2,7%.  To address this challenge, we undertook to capacitate the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, to further complement this industry’s cooperation with police.

For the financial year under review, that is 2010/11, the burglary at residential premises ratio decreased by 4,8%.  We can attribute this improvement amongst others, the success of ‘Operation Duty Calls’ festive season campaign.

Increase in Non-Residential Robberies
The organized business sector continues to experience decreases in robbery.

From 2005 – 2008 there was a massive steep increase and from last year there we witnessed a stabilizing trend of this crime category.  For the 2010/11 financial year, there was a 0,9% increase in non-residential, particularly on smaller businesses, spaza shops, super markets, taverns, schools and general dealers.

Last year we informed the nation that we were working on a pilot-project to address small business robberies. This is a difficult area to manage and secure because of the capacity to do as big business do.  Now, based on this persistent challenge in smaller business, we are developing a National Small Business Robbery Strategy which will be finalized by the end of this year and then be rolled out across the country.

Decrease in Cash-In-Transit
The detection and arrest of key criminals involved in bank and Cash-In-Transit robberies coupled with our rapid response to such crimes and our partnerships with the business community; has continued to result in declines in this form of crime.

The decision to allow the printing of photographs of criminals wanted for such crimes has also contributed to an increase in the number of arrests made.  We are therefore pleased to see a massive decrease of 18,7% for the 2010/11 financial year, from a 7,3% in the 2009/10 financial year.

Decrease in Bank Robbery
Again through coordinated efforts with our partners from Business we have witnessed one of the biggest improvements in our crime statistics for the year under review.  Bank robbery decreased by 58,1% with 93 cases recorded in 2009/10 to 39 for the 2010/11 financial year.

Decrease in Stock Theft
Since 2008 one form of crime which has deeply concerned us is the increase in stock theft.  Whilst we are encouraged that there has been a decline of 8,2% in the number of reported cases of stock theft during the past fiscal, we are still not really happy with the situation.

Not only are the figures still too high and the impact to serve but we also need to make sure that the decline is not a result of possible under-reporting. Late last year we launched the Rural Safety Strategy and now need make sure that this strategy draws in farm-workers, commercial and small farmers as well as local rural communities themselves.

Farmers, farm-workers and residents within rural communities are considered soft targets by criminals. This is due to the remoteness of farms, high market value of properties, large distances between farms and villages and the inaccessibility to the police as well as basic infrastructure, such as roads.  Rural police stations are often isolated and responsible to police vast areas.

Decrease in illegal possession of firearms and ammunition
Although the illegal possession of firearms ration decreased by 2,0% during the financial year 2010/11, we are still concerned about the continuous loss of firearms both in hands of police and civilians.

The department has over the last 18 months been putting in place measures to reduce the number of firearms stolen or lost by SAPS members.  These include IBIS testing of all firearms, stricter controls on reporting, checking of firearms as well as improving sanctions procedures and processes in instances where SAPS officials lose firearms. We shall continue to be tough on those officers found to have negligently lost firearms, including civilians.

Increase in ATM Blasts
One area of concern to the police during the past financial year was the significant increase in ATM bombings which increased by 61,5%, from 247 recorded cases in 2009/10 to 399 in the 2010/11 financial year.

This massive increase further correlates with the statistics provided by the South African Banking Risk Information Centre.  The majority of these blasts took place in Gauteng, with a 57,1% followed by North West with 12,4%.

Some of these trends are informed by migration and displacement of crime from one province to another but we are beginning to intensify our operations in some of these hard-hit provinces.

However despite this massive increase we are encouraged by the fact that a concerted focus on this form of crime is starting yield some successes.  According to figures from SABRIC, this form of crime has started to decline with a 17% decline in ATM robberies since April 2011 compared to the same period last year.

Increase in Drug-related Crimes
The drug-related crime ratio increased by 10,2% in the 2010/11 financial year.  We are now intensifying our approaches by mounting operations that are aimed at cracking the backbones of drug-lord syndicates instead of focusing and arresting drug-peddlers.

We are also working with other sister departments including Social Development and Basic Education as most affected are young children.  We also acknowledge that dealing with drugs is a global challenge that needs to be coordinated with our international counterparts.

Increase in cases of Drunken Driving
In 2009/10 driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs ratio increased by 10,6% and for the 2010/11 financial year, an increase was 4,5%.

In dealing with this crime, it is incumbent upon all South Africans to abide by the road safety laws and as the ministry we will continue to support campaigns such as Arrive Alive.  We all have a duty to ensure that our roads are safe and those who break the law, will be severely punished.

Increase in Commercial Crime
The commercial crime ratio increased by 2,8% for the 2010/11 financial year.

As we mentioned during last year’s announcement, it is becoming evidently clear that this crime is not a unique South African phenomenon, but a global challenge.  It is our endearing hope that as we partner with our international counterparts, that we will be able to improve in dealing with this crime.

Arrest of 49 of the top 50 most wanted criminals
The following successes were achieved by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) for the 2010/11 financial year.  In tackling commercial crime, the Hawks arrested 8 294 and secured 5 267 convictions; when it comes to organized crime they further arrested 2 439 and secured 532 convictions.

During the period under review, the Directorate profiled and pursued 50 most wanted suspects for armed robberies, ATM bombings cash-in-transit and bank robberies.  They apprehended 49, and they are in hot pursuit of the 1 one elusive scoundrel who is still at large.

More Arrests, More Detection, More Convictions
To effectively deal a blow to crime, we have as the police leadership emphasized to police management that they need to secure more and more convictions.  Unless we attain these our efforts will not yield the desired results.
Many of the suspects arrested would have been involved in more than one crime incident and some instances one individual would range from 35 to 50 incidents. It is also premised on the reality that the majority of South Africans are law-abiding citizens and that the majority of crimes are committed by a small group of people are repeat offenders.

Decrease in Police Deaths
On a sore note, each financial year we come before the nation to sadly announce men and women in blue who lost their lives – in pursuit of safeguarding us.  In the 2009/10 financial we announced that 110 police officers passed away in the line of duty; this financial year, 2010/11 there was a slight decrease as we lost 94 police officers.

We are also concerned about the increasing attacks and killings of our officers since the beginning of the year; but remain confident that as we work with all our partners, we will be able to defeat these heartless criminals.
These heroes remained fearless for they knew that their duty was to the society and their mission was to wage a war against crime.  By taking a stance against crime and all its evils, this can be the best memory we can afford these heroes who put their country’s welfare above their own.

Improving the SAPS to effectively fight crime
The transformation of the police must across the country, focus on the type of Police Service we want to see.  It must ensure that our Police Service at all levels is reflective of the society it polices and the values we wish to promote within our society.

The current review process of the White Paper for Safety and Security will therefore guide our approach to the overall transformation of the police.

Improving the police response is an objective that remains a priority for the department. The equitable distribution of police stations is essential in ensuring that the services provided by SAPS in support of safe and secured communities is to be realized by all people.
Critically, focus must be placed on mobilizing society to make life difficult for criminals in our midst. This should include an overhaul of gender and family relations and intolerance of abuse within communities.
Alongside our operational approaches we shall ensure that there is a concerted focus on human resource development from recruitment to retirement and to ensure effectiveness of our service delivery at all levels within the police.

Conclusion:
The 2010/11 financial year crime statistics confirm our assertion that indeed the tide against crime is turning and that police, joined by society are gaining an upper hand against vicious criminals.  The statistics however, should serve as a motivating factor and encouragement in all our efforts.

Training is also a crucial part of our approach to improving policing.  We have now revised how and what is involved in training. Our training must tackle both the content and the manner in which we train. Training cannot be just about churning out numbers but must be ongoing and relevant.
Victory against crime is now an achievable goal.  However for as long as young children are still under the bondage of crime and drugs; for as long as businesses are robbed, for as long as women are abused and raped, for as long as South Africans across are mugged and hijacked – none of us can must rest.

The war on crime must continue; a war by the way, that has been declared by heartless criminals on law-abiding citizens.  Cautiously, these year’s crime statistics tell us that we must never be complacent and say our work is done.

We all have a duty to make categorical commitment to work even harder to indeed give true impetus to government’s undertaking that: “All People in South Africa Are and Feel Safe.”

The DNA Project was in Parliament in the Old Assembly, Room V454 on the 7/9/2011 to listen to what the Portfolio Committee for Police had to say in discussing the draft report on their recent overseas DNA ‘study tour’ (as they like to call it) which took them to England and Canada, as well their recommendations emanating therefrom. The meeting was open to the public but the Chairperson forbade anyone but members of the Committee to have a physical copy of the Report which they were aiming to finalise. The final report will however be made available to the Public once adopted and The DNA Project will post the full report on its website as soon as this has been published.

DNA evidence can link cases to detect a serial offender

In the meantime, we are able to get a fair idea of their findings from their discussions as well as certain members opinions on aspects of the legislation. It was interesting to note that not all of the members of the Committee went to both countries – some went only to Canada, others only to England and others still, went to both countries. Furthermore, only 5 members of the committee, the chairperson and the parliamentary researcher and state attorney were present at the meeting this morning. Where were the others that went on the tour? No explanation was given.

Below you will find, in point form, some of the salient issues which were discussed vis-a-vis the tour, the groups of people who presented to them, as well as some of their views and possible recommendations:

• The first part of the report includes a history of the progress of this Bill in South Africa as well as a comprehensive history of the use of DNA in SA.

• According to the report, the Bill was split between Fingerprints and DNA due to, amongst other issues, the lack of a thorough implementation plan from the FSL (Forensic Science lab) in the initial stages of review.

• A clear implementation plan must accompany the new DNA Bill which sets out how they intend to cope with the demand on capacity the DNA Bill will place on the FSL. The Committee would like to see what the ‘cost to the State’ will be in this regard.

• Canada was apparently selected by the Committee to visit due to its similar constitutional basis to SA. It was noted that Canada follows what the Committee call a “Human Rights based approach’.

• The issues for consideration will be, inter alia, the prevention of contamination; securing of the crime scene; who will be custodian of database; retention periods of DNA samples and profiles; secure storage of profiles and samples as well as the protection of privacy.

• The Committee believe there is a risk that traditional methods of investigation will be abandoned in favour of technology. [Is this really a RISK? Technology is inevitable, embrace and learn!]

• One member actually wanted to know whether the delegation who went on the study tour should be referred to with a capital D or lower d within the report! [No comment]

• The Report highlighted the fact that in England and Wales the DNA Database is kept totally separate from the processing lab. In this regard the Committee want to revisit who is going to be custodian of the database. i.e. must it be separated from the police? [It seems that this may be what they are aiming for here…]

• Genewatch (a UK NPO that monitors developments in genetic technology) was one of groups which presented to the Committee & they believe the presence of a profile on a database will lead to a person being treated as a criminal & is  therefore unfair.

• The recommendations in the Committee’s report will serve as a guideline only during processing of the DNA Bill & will not bind the Committee

• It was concerning that one member of the Committee stated that a DNA profile for criminal intelligence purposes which is on a database will allow the State to see if that person has a dreaded disease. This was fortunately challenged by another member who reminded her that the profile does not give away any genetic information other than gender. This was accepted and the first member changed her concern to the sample not the profile. [Many people don’t understand the difference between a DNA profile used for identification and genetic marker profiling which would be searching for those dreaded disease markers… so clearly some members still needs to be taught the difference between the two].

• The issue of private labs assisting State labs was mentioned but not discussed and will be covered in more detail within the report when published. [I don’t think the Committee have a view on this, they were simply reporting on what they observed was the practice in these countries]

• The Committee will Consider forming a strong oversight body or perhaps even several bodies to oversee certain aspects of the legislation such as implementation and privacy concerns.

• The Committee want to consider what they called a ‘phased in’ approach for DNA legislation in SA.

• The types of considerations for a phased approach will be issues such us: costing, training, IT solutions, categorizing different indices on the database as well as categorizing crime for the purpose of sample collection.

The parliamentary session ended two hours later and a final report will be issued next week.

We have yet to hear when they intend to begin the real work of actually reviewing the legislation following the adoption of the report, but we can only hope that their apparent recognition that we have an urgent requirement in SA to regulate DNA legislation, will compel this Committee to keep the ball rolling in the direction of finalising not just their report but the DNA Bill itself.

Vanessa Lynch leaving Parliament, Cape Town

On the lighter side of things, I could not help but suppress a laugh when one of the Committee members stated that in England, following the ECHR ruling on the Marper case, the draft amendment for the UK DNA legislation has been in Parliament under review for “forever and ever”. As we know, the Marper ruling was finalised in the European Courts of Human Rights in December 2008  – this being the exact time our DNA Bill was first adopted by our Cabinet in SA…. Perhaps she missed the irony in her comment, but I certainly did not!

Vanessa Lynch, reporting from the Old Assembly, Parliament, Cape Town
7 September 2011

Some of you may have read the article in the Weekend Argus and Sunday Tribune this weekend which covered the case of Norma Worsley’s murder and the outstanding DNA tests relative to the case. The headline read “DNA still hasn’t been tested two years on, with lab’s backlog at 16200”

What does this headline mean to you? People who have contacted me since reading that article have said that they were shocked that there were so many DNA tests outstanding. Everyone I have asked as to what that means have said the same thing.

The Reporter of the article in question has quoted me out of context and has misled the public into believing that 16200 DNA tests are in backlog. Having gone to great lengths to explain what these figures meant to the reporter last week, it has become necessary for me to re-clarify the situation for the benefit of the public, who are entitled to responsible and accurate reporting.

The figure of 16200 cases (not tests) was the overall backlog for the ENTIRE Forensic Science Laboratory (“FSL”) at March 2011 and not just DNA. The FSL consists of several units, namely chemistry, questioned documents,  ballistics, fingerprints as well as DNA (Biology). The figure of 16200 should therefore not have been used in relation to Biology (DNA) alone because it does not relate to Biology (DNA) — in fact in the DNA unit, it has been reported that they no longer have a backlog. The way it was reported was misleading and out of context as it implies that there are 16200 DNA “samples’ in backlog which is NOT what I said and I therefore should not have been quoted on saying same. In addition the overall backlog within the Forensic Science Laboratory decreased by 19,25% from 59 023 to 47 660 during the 2009/2010 financial year and declined significantly with a further 66% from 47 660 un-assigned entries on the 1st of April 2010 to 16 200 as on the 31st of March 2011, which is the lowest figure recorded since March 2009. In the 2010/2011 financial year, the backlog in the Questioned Documents Unit decreased by 8,4%,   Scientific Analysis decreased by 6,7% and in the Chemistry Unit the backlog decreased by 54,9%.  The units which recorded the most significant decline in backlog were in fact DNA (Biology) and Ballistics  with a decrease of 82,7% and  81,5% respectively.

The above information shows the significant inroads the FSL have made into the backlogs in all units, as well as DNA, and this unfortunately was not made clear in the article in question.

The real issue, which is the outstanding case in this matter, was also referred back to the Biology Unit on Friday and despite being given less than 24 hours to respond, they did in fact send a response to the reporter which showed that the delay in this instance was due to the prosecutor and not due to any ‘backlog’. This information was not however reported, the writer instead opting to imply to the public that the case was simply part of a backlog of 16200 cases.

With the imminent review of the DNA Bill, it is unfortunate that the reporter did not highlight the lengths the FSL have been going to in the past year to not only decrease the backlogs, but to increase capacity to prepare properly for the promulgation of the new DNA Bill when (and if)  it occurs. The delay which the public may have more interest in, is with respect, the failure by the Portfolio Committee of Police to review the DNA Bill which has been sitting in Parliament since 2008.

The Committee returned from a 2 week overseas study tour in July 2011 which spanned two continents, several 5 star hotels and business class travel, and we have yet to hear from them in respect of their findings or when they intend to resume reviewing the DNA Bill. I believe pressure should be brought to bear on those members of Parliament to report to the public on their intentions with regard to this urgently required legislation.