NCJ Number
209702
Journal
Acta Criminologica Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: 2005 Pages: 85-114
Date Published
2005
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This article considers the role that the private security industry in South Africa can play in policing and crime prevention.
Abstract
While the private policing industry and the public policing forces share a common goal of protecting the public, these two industries have rarely corroborated. This article explores the role that private security has played in South Africa and examines how this role has changed over time as the private security industry in this country has grown. Indeed private security in South Africa has begun to seep into many of the traditional public or State police contexts despite the lack of a formal agreement regarding “partnership policing.” Following a discussion of the regulation of the South African private security industry, the author contends that while there has been historical friction between private and public police, the two industries can come together to cooperate in policing and crime prevention programs. Specific examples of such public-private policing partnerships that have been successful in South Africa are offered, such as the City Improvement Districts project, private investigations, and vehicle tracking and recovery programs. The author concludes that public-private police partnerships in South Africa can work if the private security industry is willing to play a secondary and subservient role within specified parameters. Whether or not the public police want these partnerships is considered a moot point as policing in South Africa continues to grow more complex, requiring more resources than the public police can provide. Bibliography, endnotes