An evaluation of the training of police trainees for the policing of unrest related incidents at the South African police services: Mthatha Police Training College

Abstract
South Africa is currently a country in crisis. A strike of around 1.3 million public-sector employees, which started on the 18 the August 2011, was and still is causing chaos in the country. Government institutions such as hospitals and schools are closed due to strikes (The Wall Street Journal. 2011). Due to the frustration of the communities because of lack of service deliveries most of these strikes and gatherings becomes violent and destructive. The researcher has identified a major gap with the current curriculum utilized for the basic training of trainees in the South African Police Service. The curriculum mostly consists of theoretical presentations, especially with regard to crowd management. There is no practical training presented on how to manage crowds, and there is no presentation of the equipment that can be utilized and how it can be used to handle crowd management and unrest related incidents. All police officials are ultimately responsible for maintaining law and order and therefore the researcher believes that it is extremely important that trainees should be introduced to crowd management and unrest incidents during basic training. This will enable them to have the necessary skills to handle unrest situation should they be faced with it at station levels. This will enhance service delivery for the whole SAPS, as all police officials will know how to manage crowds.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters (Criminology) in the Department of Criminal Justice, at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2014
Keywords
South African Police Service --training
Citation
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