Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Leadership development is an essential and valuable tool for capacitating police leaders in the South African Police Service to deal with the diverse challenges that they face in the policing environment. There seem to be a need for leadership development processes that can stimulate change, and for perspective transformation to enable police leaders to find alternative ways of dealing with the challenges experienced in their working environment. This thesis explored transformative learning as a tool to enhance the leadership development processes of police leaders. The essential elements of transformative learning are: centrality of experience; critical thinking; rational discourse; and policy praxis. Theory development were chosen as best to carefully construct the foundational argument through non-empirical literary-based sources, in which the literature itself became the database towards theoretical formulation in this non-empirical study. The alignment and integration of the elements of transformative learning were explored as a strategy to capacitate police leaders to: reflect on past experiences; think critically about ways of dealing with policing challenges based on experiences; discuss these challenges with other police leaders; and act on reflections made during leadership development processes. The study is limited to the analysis of the status of leadership development in the South African Police Service, which was the context of this study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Leierskapsontwikkeling is ‘n essensiële en waardevolle hulpmiddel om leiers in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens te bemagtig om die uiteenlopende uitdagings waarmee hulle te kampe het, beter te hanteer. Dit blyk egter dat daar ‘n behoefte is vir leierskapsontwikkelingprosesse wat intrinsieke verandering en ‘n paradigmaskuif vir polisieleiers te weeg kan bring en wat hulle in staat kan stel om die uitdagings binne hul beroepsveld meer doeltreffend te hanteer. Hierdie tesis ondersoek transformatiewe leerteorie as ‘n instrument om leierskapsontwikkeling van polisieleiers te bevorder. Die hoofelemente van transformatiewe leerteorie is: sentralisering van ondervinding; kritiese denke; rasionele diskoers en beleidsvorming. Teorie-ontwikkeling as navorsingsmetodologie was selekteer as die mees geskikste metodologie om die argument deur nie-empiriese literêre bronne te konstrueer, waarvolgens die gekose literatuur die databasis van die teoretiese formulasie rondom die argument gevorm het in hierdie nie-empiriese studie. Groepering en integrasie van bogenoemde elemente was ondersoek as ‘n strategie om polisieleiers te bemagtig om te reflekteer oor vorige ondervindinge; kritiese denkwyses oor hantering van uitdagings in beroepsveld met inagneming van vorige ondervindinge toe te pas; diskoers oor uitdagings met ander polisieleiers te hê en om aktief te reageer op refleksies tydens leierskapsontwikkelingsprosesse. Die studie is beperk tot die analise van die status van leierskap in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens as konteks waarbinne hierdie studie onderneem is.

This study sought to identify and explore the contributing factors responsible for the rate of high absenteeism, as a result of sick leave, at the South African Police Service (SAPS) Academy in Paarl. The research also explored international best practices in the management of absenteeism in police organizations. Furthermore, and most importantly, the study puts forward a set of recommendations to the management of SAPS regarding improvements that could address absenteeism and, ultimately, improve service delivery. Data was collected by means of a literature study coupled with semi-structured individual interviews. The interviews were conducted with the most diligent members of the group employees of the SAPS Academy in Paarl who had taken the least sick leave during the 2009-2012 leave cycle. A thorough literature review was conducted; this literature study focused on SAPS directives, inter alia, standing orders, regulations, national instructions and national legislation. In addition, national and international literature on absenteeism in the workplace was consulted. The findings of the study illustrate the impact of absenteeism on service delivery at the SAPS Academy, Paarl. It was established that absenteeism impacts on the morale of diligent members and, in turn, creates innumerable challenges for managers. The recommendations made in this study could contribute towards addressing and alleviating the impact of excessive absenteeism on service delivery at the SAPS Academy, Paarl. In addition, these recommendations could contribute towards addressing these matters within the broader SAPS body in and other government organizations, since absenteeism in the workplace is a general phenomenon. / Police Practice / M. Tech. (Policing)

The aim of this study was to established whether police officials in Area Soweto understand the affirmative action that is taking place within the SAPS. A literature study on affirmative action was done and a questionnare generated. An imperical study was done by questionnaire on the trans formation that has taken place within the SAPS from 1994 to 2000. The sample of 300 members was taken out of the eight identified police stations in Soweto. It was established that police officials in soweto do no understand affirmative action and its implementation within the SAPS in Soweto. Most of them were uncertain in ther reponse to the questions asked. Recommendations are made for the SAPS to teach members about affirmative action and its consequences within this organisation for affirmative action to succeed. / Penology / M.A. (Police Science)

Exposure of employees to traumatic experiences in the workplace is a reality that many organisations face. Although not every person exposed to a traumatic experience will necessarily develop post-traumatic stress, the workplace still has a responsibility to assist individuals to deal with psychological reactions after a traumatic experience. The South African Police Service (SAPS) is one such organisation, where employees run a particularly high risk of being exposed to traumatic experiences while performing their tasks. In order to help employees of the SAPS to debrief their trauma, trauma counsellors are necessary. Within the SAPS, trauma counsellors are trained in an adapted version of Mitchell’s Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) model, with the underlying focus to establish a sense of safety for the police official. The trauma counsellors in the SAPS are trained by means of an experiential learning experience, where journaling is utilised to capture personal experiences during the training. The objective of the study was therefore to explore the experience of counsellors during a trauma counselling training programme. A qualitative research design was utilised following a phenomenology approach. The social constructivism paradigm was also utilised in this research study. Trauma counsellors (N=12) in the SAPS were used as case study for this research, where a purposive homogeneous non-probability sampling technique was implemented. The journal entries made by the participants during the nine day training programme were used as a data collection method. Four categories were extracted from the data, namely, thoughts regarding trauma counsellor’s experiences, emotion experiences of counsellors, the impact of daily experiences on counsellors and the participants’ view on how their competence of efficiency would change in the future. The results showed that the training programme was an effective strategy to train the counsellors. The counsellors showed increased self-awareness and self-insight after the training. The participants gained insight and understanding of how police officials experience trauma. The findings showed that the participants felt empowered and more confident to assist police officials with their trauma recovery. In relation to their training, counsellors made recommendations for the future training of trauma counsellors within the SAPS. Finally, recommendations were made for future research as well as the implications of the study for the industrial psychology practise. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Exposure of employees to traumatic experiences in the workplace is a reality that many organisations face. Although not every person exposed to a traumatic experience will necessarily develop post-traumatic stress, the workplace still has a responsibility to assist individuals to deal with psychological reactions after a traumatic experience. The South African Police Service (SAPS) is one such organisation, where employees run a particularly high risk of being exposed to traumatic experiences while performing their tasks. In order to help employees of the SAPS to debrief their trauma, trauma counsellors are necessary. Within the SAPS, trauma counsellors are trained in an adapted version of Mitchell’s Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) model, with the underlying focus to establish a sense of safety for the police official. The trauma counsellors in the SAPS are trained by means of an experiential learning experience, where journaling is utilised to capture personal experiences during the training. The objective of the study was therefore to explore the experience of counsellors during a trauma counselling training programme. A qualitative research design was utilised following a phenomenology approach. The social constructivism paradigm was also utilised in this research study. Trauma counsellors (N=12) in the SAPS were used as case study for this research, where a purposive homogeneous non-probability sampling technique was implemented. The journal entries made by the participants during the nine day training programme were used as a data collection method. Four categories were extracted from the data, namely, thoughts regarding trauma counsellor’s experiences, emotion experiences of counsellors, the impact of daily experiences on counsellors and the participants’ view on how their competence of efficiency would change in the future. The results showed that the training programme was an effective strategy to train the counsellors. The counsellors showed increased self-awareness and self-insight after the training. The participants gained insight and understanding of how police officials experience trauma. The findings showed that the participants felt empowered and more confident to assist police officials with their trauma recovery. In relation to their training, counsellors made recommendations for the future training of trauma counsellors within the SAPS. Finally, recommendations were made for future research as well as the implications of the study for the industrial psychology practise. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Dissertation / This dissertation analyses the effectiveness of specialised units within the South African Police Services as exemplified by the Gauteng Waterwing Unit. Factors influencing the effectiveness are analysed, and the advisability of making these units permanent units within the South African Police Services structure is evaluated. Different policing styles are discussed with regard to their effectiveness in different situations and their applicability in the water policing context. Possible corrective actions to reduce the influence of factors hindering service delivery are proposed. The analyses were accomplished by examination of the literature supplemented by practical field observations and interviews. / Police Practice / M.Tech (Policing)

Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), when they first were introduced in the United States of America (USA), were support programmes providing assistance to alcohol addicted employees. During the 1960s, EAPs became comprehensive and offered employee assistance services (EAS) such as financial, marital and family, psychological, work-related stress, chemical dependency (alcohol and drugs), depression, health, anxiety, and even job boredom problems that affect employee work performance. Since then, EAPs have proven to be valuable because skilled and high performing employees who experienced problems could receive assistance in the workplace and once they overcame their problems, they often became more productive and more employers could benefit from EAPs. Due to the benefits provided by EAPs to both employees and employers, South Africa is one of the many countries that have adopted this performance-enhancing strategy. EAPs in South Africa are a relatively new workplace management phenomenon designed similarly to the USA model and thus do not have a long history. In the South African Police Service (SAPS), EAPs are as a result of the operational nature of policing services and the demanding conditions under which police services are carried-out. The EAPs are provided as a means of employee support to promote employee wellness and to create a working environment that is conducive to an effective and efficient delivery of police services. This research investigated the implementation of EAPs at Moroka Police Station, the biggest of the eleven (11) police stations that are situated within Soweto. This station serves approximately a total population of two hundred and fifty thousand (250 000) community members. The research gathered opinions of three selected groups of respondents (non-commissioned officers, EAP practitioners and commissioned officers) about the effectiveness of EAPs in the study area and how they can be improved. Employees in this police station, as in many others, are exposed to daily traumatic events since their duties require them to attend to crime scenes such as murder, collisions of varying seriousness, and often witness the murder of their colleagues. These incidents have a profoundly adverse impact on their psychological well-being and work performance. The findings show that even though remarkable progress has been made with the institutionalisation of EAPs, there are a few concerns which still require management’s attention. From the results of the interviews held with the non-commissioned officers, a few concerns, that if attended to could improve the effectiveness of EAP, include concerns about non-commissioned officers’ lack of knowledge of the functions of EAP, their general experience of EAP, the credibility and adherence by EAP practitioners to ethical guidelines, the frequency of the consultations as well as concerns about the accessibility of the EAP to them. The findings of the interviews held with EAP practitioners tended to be less complimentary than those gathered from non-commissioned officers, and a longer list of concerns was recorded. Numerous concerns that relate to the circumstance under which they administer EAS were articulated. These include concerns about how employees perceive the EAP and their understanding of EAS. Lastly the findings of the questionnaires administered to the commissioned officers, as compared to both the findings gathered from the non-commissioned officers and EAP practitioners, were more positive, especially their understanding of the EAP, how the EAP functions, their overall experience of the services provided through the EAP and their overall satisfaction of the EAS. Although the findings were positive there were few concerns that they identified as needing attention. These concerns are the functions of EAP, implementation of EAP, general experience of EAP, feedback from the EAP practitioners and resistance by employees to consult EAP practitioners. This research concludes by offering recommendations for each of the three groups, and by offering a research agenda for further investigation in this field. / Public Administration and Management / M.Tech. (Public Administration)

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Die rol van die maatskaplike werker verbonde aan die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens Hoofkantoor en sy afdelings is die onderwerp van hierdie studie. Hierdie rol is aan die hand van die take wat deur middel van die studie geTdentifiseer is, bepaal. Personeelmaatskaplikewerk het die teoretiese agtergrond vir hierdie studie gevorm. Maatskaplike werk in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens is fundamenteel in terme van sy ontstaan en ontwikkeling, missie en doelstellings beskryf.Die empiriese opname het volgens die nominale groepstegniek en 'n gestruktureerde onderhoudskedule plaasgevind. Maatskaplike werkers, kapelane, sielkundiges en bestuurders/bevelvoerders verbonde aan die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens Hoofkantoor en sy afdelings was as respondente gebruik. Die navorser het die kennis wat deur hierdie studie opgedoen is, gebruik om spesifieke aanbevelings te maak ten opsigte van Maatskaplikewerkdienste in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens, Hoofkantoor-afdelings. / The role of the social worker attached to the South African Police Service, Head Office and its divisions is the subject of this study. This role has been prescribed by tasks which were dictated by the study. Industrial social work formed the theoretical background for this study. Social work in the South African Police Service is described in foundation in terms of its origin and development, mission and objectives. The empirical survey was carried out according to the nominal group technique and a structured interview schedule. Social workers, chaplains, psychologists and managers/ officers commanding on the staff of the South African Police Service, Head Office and its divisions, were used as respondents. The researcher has used the information gained by this study to make specific recommendations regarding Social Work Services, Head Office Divisions, in the South African Police. / Social Work / M.A.(Social Work)

Organizations in South Africa have been going through a great deal of change in recent years. However, little is known about the effects on employees. This study aimed to ascertain the psychological impact of change on the employees of a large public service organization, the South African Police Service. The findings were contrary to what was expected with the only significant difference between the samples being for anxiety in black managers. Circumstances outside the work situation were the strongest predictors for stress, anxiety and depression. However, factors in the work situation played a more significant role in predicting the variance in stress and anxiety in the second sample. The within group differences were the opposite of what was expected with black managers having higher stress and depression levels than their white counterparts in both samples and higher anxiety levels than both their white and coloured counterparts in the second sample. / Psychology / M.A. (Research Psychology)

M. Tech. Policing / The White Paper on Safety and Security (1998: 7-8) states that in the new democratic order, South Africans demand and deserve accountable, effective and service oriented policing. This means that policing in a democracy requires professional law enforcement which does not infringe upon human rights. It further requires a concerted effort by government, in partnership with civil society, to prevent crime before it occurs. The new South African Police Services under the new dispensation introduced in 1994 covers new policing programmes such as Community Policing Forum, Sector Policing and Neighborhood Watch, for the purpose of bringing the policing department to the proximity of the society. The main objectives of the research are to investigate the reasons for the failure of the police and the community to maintain cordial relationships on crime prevention in Tzaneen area, reasons for lower success rate in terms of apprehending and arresting of criminals, lack of monitoring by police commissioners of Tzaneen to ensure the quality of relationship, and to recommend ways of ensuring or improving good relationship between the police and the community in fighting or preventing crime in Tzaneen area, Limpopo province.