The purpose of this research was to investigate how members of the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) perceive crime prevention within the context of metropolitan policing. Based on the social constructionist paradigm, the researcher collected data relating to the crime-prevention phenomenon from all rank groups within the organisation by making use of various focus-group and in-depth interviews. Collected data were transcribed, coded, analysed and arranged into themes, subthemes and categories. This analysis indicated that various opinions as to how the crime-prevention phenomenon applies to a metropolitan police department (MPD) currently exist within the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department. Various opinions were identified as to why a MPD was created, what the focal point of a MPD should be and what the current focal point of the TMPD is. Participants had different views on how a MPD should participate in functions like road-traffic and by-law policing, and how these functions contribute to crime prevention. Crime prevention proved to be an ambiguous term indeed, as no common understanding of this complicated phenomenon could have been identified amongst participants. It seemed that participants were not familiar with the crime-prevention capabilities of the organisation as they advocated a comprehensive participation in crime-prevention models like situational crime prevention, social crime prevention, crime prevention through environmental design, and crime prevention through effective criminal justice, while the organisation can actually participate in these crime-prevention models only to a very limited extent. The lack of a central philosophy or strategy that describes how the TMPD should conduct its business became evident during the study, and resulted in an organisation with no uniform understanding of crime prevention. Consequently, crime prevention means different things to different members of the TMPD. / Police Practice / M. Tech. (Policing)

The purpose of this research was to investigate how members of the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) perceive crime prevention within the context of metropolitan policing. Based on the social constructionist paradigm, the researcher collected data relating to the crime-prevention phenomenon from all rank groups within the organisation by making use of various focus-group and in-depth interviews. Collected data were transcribed, coded, analysed and arranged into themes, subthemes and categories. This analysis indicated that various opinions as to how the crime-prevention phenomenon applies to a metropolitan police department (MPD) currently exist within the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department. Various opinions were identified as to why a MPD was created, what the focal point of a MPD should be and what the current focal point of the TMPD is. Participants had different views on how a MPD should participate in functions like road-traffic and by-law policing, and how these functions contribute to crime prevention. Crime prevention proved to be an ambiguous term indeed, as no common understanding of this complicated phenomenon could have been identified amongst participants. It seemed that participants were not familiar with the crime-prevention capabilities of the organisation as they advocated a comprehensive participation in crime-prevention models like situational crime prevention, social crime prevention, crime prevention through environmental design, and crime prevention through effective criminal justice, while the organisation can actually participate in these crime-prevention models only to a very limited extent. The lack of a central philosophy or strategy that describes how the TMPD should conduct its business became evident during the study, and resulted in an organisation with no uniform understanding of crime prevention. Consequently, crime prevention means different things to different members of the TMPD. / Police Practice / M. Tech. (Policing)

Text in English / An improved roads and public transport system also referred to in this research as road-transport, is strategic to economic growth in countries worldwide. This is why the improvements relating thereto have been prioritised by governments in developing economies such as South Africa. The problem that therefore informed the research in this study is that ever since the improvements on road-transport in South Africa, the implications thereof on the role of the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) have not been studied, to understand the associated dynamics. The dynamics relate to how the road-transport improvements have swayed the role of law enforcement in the City of Tshwane. To unpack the dynamics, the study posed the question: What are the implications of the road-transport improvements on the role of the TMPD? In an attempt to answer this question, the study premised itself on exploring one primary aim, which is: to explore the implications of the road-transport improvements, on the role of the TMPD. To operationalise this aim, the study used three research objectives, which are: to describe the road-transport improvements In South Africa; to explain the role of the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department; as well as to identify factors that hinders the effectiveness of the TMPD. The research used a qualitative approach wherein primary data was collected using interviews. The research showed that road-transport improvements in South Africa can be summarised into two categories. These are traffic improvements and improvements in public transport. The research also found that the role of the TMPD include traffic policing, by-law enforcement, crime prevention, crime Investigation and crowd management. Although the role of the TMPD is regulated properly, the study shows that this law enforcement agency was constrained by a number of challenges. The challenges include: lack of clarity in their crime prevention mandate; limited investigative powers; balancing their enforcement and crime prevention mandates; poor training in crowd management; staff shortages; resource problems; and administrative challenges. To deal with the problems thus requires strong management and leadership within the institution. / Police Practice / M. Tech. (Policing)