The DNA Project has been invited to be part of the capacity building pilot project for CPF’s, initiated by SAPS and BACSA.

Business Against Crime South Africa (BACSA) has leveraged the skills of the DNA PROJECT to run free, crime scene awareness training workshops for CPF’s in seven pilot stations in Gauteng as part of its joint collaboration with SAPS. The recent collaboration is part of a capacity building project for CPF’s and is one of many of the jointly agreed initiatives entered into between BACSA and SAPS.

A sample of our crime scene tape which is issued to CPF's to assist with crime scene protection

The initiatives stem from the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between BACSA and SAPS and provides structure and accountability to the relationship. The initiatives, including CPF capacity building pilot project, have been conceptualised based on the information provided by SAPS on the core strategic risks facing the Police service.

The project’s footprint is national but for purposes of the pilot the following seven Gauteng police stations have been selected as sites:
• Alexandra;
• Bronkhorstspruit;
• Cullinan;
• Dube;
• Diepsloot;
• Midrand; and
• Norkem Park.

The insights and lessons learnt from the pilot phase will serve as a basis for the best practice model to be rolled out to other provinces.

The aim : To enhance community and police relations to improve on service delivery and a number of challenges have been identified. Key amongst these challenges is the limited understanding of the role and responsibilities of the CPF by CPF members. One other key deficiency identified is the need for skills development for the Community Police Forum executive members in the seven pilot stations.

CPF members will learn about different types of DNA evidence found on crime scenes

To mitigate the two identified key challenges, SAPS Human Resources Division (HRD) has developed a training manual for CPF’s and three instalments of three days training workshops have been planned. The first one will be taking place from 26-28 April 2013. A skills audit of the CPF executive members in the seven stations has been compiled and submitted to SAPS HRD for the design of skills development and other capacity building interventions.

BACSA’s role in its long-standing working relationship with SAPS is to identify and leverage skills not resident within the SAPS environments from the private sector to support and expertise in alignment with SAPS objectives.

The DNA Project will form part of this three day training programme and will focus on providing CPF’s with a basic understanding of how DNA evidence is being used to assist in criminal investigations and why it is therefore vital not to enter or disturb a crime scene. Members of the CPF’s and sub structures are
in some cases the first people who arrive at a crime scene with potential DNA evidence. Without proper training and understanding of the value of the DNA

Never Disturb a Crime Scene

evidence, vital evidence is contaminated. The workshops consist of a presentation by a DNA project approved trainer (who is knowledgeable in the field of DNA profiling). A broadcast and distribution of a DNA awareness DVD is also compiled and produced by the DNA Project.

The training programme will kick off this weekend in Pretoria.

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