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The aim of this research was to evaluate the role of the first responder at the crime scene, focusing on visible policing members at Ivory Park Police Station situated in Gauteng Province. A qualitative approach was employed in which the multiple data sources of literature, documents (SAPS directives) and structured interviews were compared in an attempt to substantiate the research findings. The interviews were conducted with visible policing members who attended to crime scenes as first responders and with detective branch commanders. This research discussed a number of key concepts: crime scene, criminal investigation, first responder, Locard’s Principle and physical evidence. It explained that criminal investigation is a logical and systematic process of gathering, locating and collecting evidence and the subsequent apprehension of perpetrators of crime in an attempt to secure a conviction. The objectives of criminal investigation are to detect crime; locate and identify possible offenders; gather, collect and process evidence; arrest offenders; recover stolen property; and bring the perpetrators before court to secure a conviction. The basic purpose of investigation is to prevent crime. Locard’s Principle, also known as the “the contact theory”, is that every contact leaves a trace. This research also suggests the processes that must be followed when crime is reported, the meaning of preliminary investigation, and the basic considerations during preliminary investigation, the main mistakes made by the first responder and the solutions to the identified mistakes. It is imperative that visible policing members familiarise themselves with the purpose of investigation and develop an understanding of the term “Locard’s Principle”, the process that must be followed when crime is reported, the basic considerations in the preliminary investigation of a crime and the main mistakes made by the first responders at the scene of crime, as these carry significant weight in the execution of their daily duties. These must be understood by the first responder as they contribute to the successful investigation and prosecution of offenders. This research hopes to assist in securing convictions and decreasing the number of repeat offenders who commit crimes. / Criminology and Security Science / M.A. (Criminal Justice)

The main purpose of this research is to assess the utilisation of the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) in rape crime scenes. First responders need to attend to the crime scene and secure it as soon as possible. Other role-players such as the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) investigator and LCRC fieldworkers should be activated by the first responder to the rape crime scene. Ideally, role-players should be activated as soon as the case is reported to the first responder. Members of the LCRC are responsible for recording the crime scene by taking photographs, making video recordings and drawing sketch plans of the scene. The LCRC is also responsible for processing the rape scene for physical evidence such as fingerprints, blood, hair, semen and saliva. The crime scene is a major source of information as far as physical evidence is concerned. The body of the victim is also a major source of physical evidence. It is therefore essential to have the rape victim examined by a medical examiner and the crime scene to be processed by the LCRC fieldworker timeously, in order to secure physical evidence that could be used to individualise a suspect. The discovery of physical evidence could place the suspect on the scene of crime and link such suspect to the crime committed. The physical evidence could also assist in corroborating the version of events from the victim. The physical evidence could also be used to exclude suspects as well. This dissertation seeks to highlight the importance of having the LCRC processing rape crime scenes for physical evidence and to emphasise the responsibility of the first responders to activate LCRC fieldworkers to process the scene of incident timeously, in order to maximise physical evidence recovery. / Criminology and Security Science / M. Tech. (Forensic Investigation)

Thèse de doctorat présenté en vue de l'obtention du doctorat en psychologie - recherche intervention, option psychologie clinique (Ph.D) / La gestion des réactions de stress post-traumatique dans les premiers jours suivant l’exposition à un événement traumatique (ÉT) au travail reste un défi pour les organisations de premiers répondants et répondantes d’urgence tels que les services médicaux d’urgence (SMU) dans lesquels travaillent les paramédics et les répartitrices et répartiteurs médicaux d’urgence (RMU). Ces travailleurs et travailleuses sont particulièrement exposés à des situations traumatiques imprévisibles et récurrentes, qui les rendent plus à risque de vivre de la détresse et des difficultés d’adaptation. Les recherches doivent se poursuivre pour savoir comment intervenir auprès de ces personnes, car à l’heure actuelle aucune intervention n’a démontré une efficacité suffisante. L’approche des Premiers Soins Psychologiques (PSP), informée par les données probantes, vise à réduire la détresse initiale et promouvoir des stratégies d’adaptation chez les individus exposés à un ÉT. Elle peut être délivrée par des paires aidantes et pairs aidants précocement, en accord avec des directives internationales. Cette approche est encore peu étudiée par la recherche scientifique. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’identifier comment l’approche des PSP peut s’intégrer auprès de paramédics et RMU. Une première étude a été menée auprès de 11 paires aidantes et pairs aidants afin d’explorer qualitativement les facteurs qui peuvent influencer l’adhésion dans le temps des bénéficiaires et des paires aidantes et pairs aidants dans leur participation à l’intervention des PSP, grâce à des entretiens semi-structurés individuels. Quatre thèmes et 11 sous- thèmes influençant l’adhésion ont été identifiés : (1) perceptions et attitudes individuelles des paires aidantes et pairs aidants et des bénéficiaires à l’égard des PSP ; (2) impacts perçus sur les paires aidantes et pairs aidants et les bénéficiaires ; (3) soutien organisationnel aux PSP et (4) congruence avec la culture professionnelle. Les résultats de cette étude suggèrent qu’il est possible d’agir sur divers facteurs au niveau individuel, organisationnel et culturel pour améliorer l’adhésion et qu’il faut surveiller les facteurs pouvant nuire à l’intervention des PSP dans le temps. Une seconde étude qualitative a exploré la perception des bénéficiaires (n=13) de l’intervention des PSP. Les résultats semblent indiquer que l’intervention des PSP permet de répondre aux besoins immédiats des travailleurs et travailleuses en accord avec les cinq principes essentiels d’une intervention précoce de Hobfoll (Hobfoll et al., 2007). L’intervention des PSP favoriserait également l’adaptation et le rétablissement après un ÉT, en contribuant à réduire la stigmatisation de la santé mentale, à augmenter les comportements de recherche d’aide et à diminuer les impacts négatifs organisationnels. Enfin, des éléments spécifiques à l’intervention ont été identifiés comme favorisant l’appréciation de l’intervention. L’identification de ces composantes nous donne des pistes d’amélioration de l’intervention afin de guider au mieux les organisations dans l’implantation et la mise en œuvre des PSP. Ces résultats qualitatifs peuvent également contribuer à informer de futures études quantitatives quant aux directions à prendre pour tester l’efficacité des PSP. Les résultats issus de ces deux articles ont permis de contribuer au développement de la littérature scientifique sur la pertinence et la façon dont peut s’intégrer l’intervention des PSP dans les organisations de premiers répondants et répondantes d’urgence en agissant sur divers facteurs au niveau individuel, organisationnel et culturel et ainsi améliorer l’adhésion dans le temps. Ils mettent aussi en lumière les bénéfices possibles des PSP et offrent des pistes concrètes d’amélioration pour les organisations qui souhaitent implanter ou bonifier la mise en œuvre des PSP comme intervention post-traumatique précoce auprès de leur personnel. / Managing post-traumatic stress reactions during the first days following exposure to a traumatic event (TE) at work remains a challenge for first responder organizations such as emergency medical services (EMS) (p.ex. paramedics and emergency medical dispatchers). These workers are particularly exposed to unpredictable and recurring traumatic situations, which puts them at increased risk for distress and adjustment difficulties. More research is needed to determine how to intervene with these people as no intervention has yet been shown to be sufficiently effective. The evidence informed Psychological First Aid (PFA) approach aims to reduce initial distress and promote coping strategies in individuals exposed to a TE. It can be early delivered by peer helpers, congruently with international guidelines. This approach is still largely unexplored in the scientific literature. The purpose of this thesis is to identify how the PFA approach can be integrated among paramedics and emergency medical dispatchers. The first paper was conducted with 11 peer helpers to qualitatively explore factors that may influence adherence over time of recipients and peer helpers in their participation in the PFA intervention, through individual semi-structured interviews. Four themes and 11 subthemes influencing adherence were identified: (1) individual perceptions and attitudes of peer helpers and recipients about PFA intervention; (2) perceived impacts on peer helpers and recipients; (3) organizational support to PFA intervention; and (4) congruence with the occupational culture. The results of this study suggest that a variety of factors can be acted upon to improve adherence and that factors that may interfere with PFA involvement over time should be monitored. A second paper explored recipients’ (n=13) perceptions of the PFA intervention. The results of the thematic analysis suggest that the PFA intervention addresses the immediate needs of workers in accordance with Hobfoll’s five essential principles of early intervention (Hobfoll et al., 2007). This intervention would also promote adjustment and recovery after a TE, regarding the reduction of stigma, the increase of help-seeking behaviours, and the decrease of organizational difficulties. Finally, specific components regarding the intervention or the provider were identified as promoting appreciation of the PFA intervention. The identification of these components provides us with avenues for intervention improvement to best guide first responder organizations in the implementation and delivery of PFA. These qualitative findings also help to inform future quantitative studies as to which directions to take to test the effectiveness of this intervention. The results of these two articles have contributed to the development of the scientific literature on whether and how to integrate the PFA intervention in first responder organizations. They highlighted the possible benefits of such an intervention and offered concrete avenues for improvement for organizations wishing to implement or improve the implementation of PFA as an early post-traumatic intervention for their personnel.

A First Responding Officer plays a significant role at the crime scene. Failure to handle the crime scene in accordance with official directives such as the South African Police Service National Instruction 1 of 2015 and National Crime Combatting Forum Instruction 10 of 2015, which are regarded as guiding tools for the successful administration of a crime scene, may jeopardize a case. The crime scene is also regarded as the primary source of information that can assist the investigation. When the crime scene is handled in accordance with the SAPS official directives, the suspects can be more readily identified. Furthermore, the investigation can be concluded successfully whereby it may be beneficial for the community. / Mohlankedi wa maphodisa wa mathomo yo a fihlago lefelong la bosenyi o raloka tema ye bohlokwa fao tiragalong ya bosenyi. Go palelwa ke go laola tiragalo yeo ya bosenyi ka go latela ditaelo tsa semmuso tsa go swana le Taelo ya Bosetshaba ya bo 1 ya 2015 ya Tirelo ya Maphodisa ya Afrika Borwa (SAPS) le Taelo ya Bosetshaba ya bo 10 ya Seboka sa go Lwantsha Bosenyi ya 2015, e lego tseo di bonwago bjalo ka ditlabelo tseo di hlahlago maphodisa go laola tiragalo ya bosenyi ka katlego, go ka senya molato. Lefelo la bosenyi le lona le bonwa bjalo ka mothopo o bohlokwa wa tshedimoso wo o ka thusago dinyakisiso. Ge lefelo la bosenyi le ka laolwa go latela ditaelo tsa semmuso tsa SAPS, bagononelwa ba ka utollwa gabonolo. Godimo ga fao, dinyakisiso di ka phethwa ka katlego fao e lego gore se se ka hola setshaba. / Motlhankedi yo o tsibogang la ntlha o na le seabe sa botlhokwa kwa lefelong la bosenyi. Go retelelwa ke go diragatsa mo lefelong la bosenyi go ya ka dikaelo tsa semmuso di tshwana le Taelo ya Bosetshaba ya bo1 ya 2015 ya Tirelo ya Sepodisi sa Aforikaborwa (SAPS) le Taelo ya bo 10 ya 2015 ya Foramo ya Bosetshaba ya Twantsho ya Bosenyi, tse di tsewang e le didiriswa tsa kaelo tsa tsamaiso e e atlegileng ya lefelo la bosenyi, go ka nna matshosetsi mo kgetsing. Gape lefelo la bosenyi le tsewa e le motswedi wa ntlha wa tshedimosetso o o ka thusang ka dipatlisiso. Fa tiragatso ya mo lefelong la bosenyi e dirwa go ya ka dikaelo tsa semmuso tsa SAPS, go ka supiwa babelaelwa ka bonako. Mo godimo ga moo, dipatlisiso di ka konosediwa ka katlego mme seo se ka nna mosola mo baaging. / Criminology and Security Science / M. Tech. (Forensic Investigation)