Text in English / The research attempts to establish the significance of bank records analysis as a technique in tracing fraud suspects. The purposes of conducting this research was to establish the current approach by the investigators of the SAPS in respect of bank records analysis in tracing fraud suspects; to explore and report on the findings of national and international literature in an attempt to find new information thereby improving the current method of bank records analysis and its specific use in tracing fraud suspects; and to make new information, in the form of written articles and this dissertation, available to the SAPS to be considered for inclusion in the training curriculum for their investigators. In collecting data, the researcher used literature study, interviews with individual participants and case dockets analysis. Essentially, the recommendations were drawn from the conclusions of the data obtained. These recommendations may offer solutions to the problem identified. / Criminology and Security Science / M. Tech. (Forensic Investigation)

Text in English / The research attempts to establish the significance of bank records analysis as a technique in tracing fraud suspects. The purposes of conducting this research was to establish the current approach by the investigators of the SAPS in respect of bank records analysis in tracing fraud suspects; to explore and report on the findings of national and international literature in an attempt to find new information thereby improving the current method of bank records analysis and its specific use in tracing fraud suspects; and to make new information, in the form of written articles and this dissertation, available to the SAPS to be considered for inclusion in the training curriculum for their investigators. In collecting data, the researcher used literature study, interviews with individual participants and case dockets analysis. Essentially, the recommendations were drawn from the conclusions of the data obtained. These recommendations may offer solutions to the problem identified. / Criminology and Security Science / M. Tech. (Forensic Investigation)

Identification of a person suspected of a heinous crime before being charged risks prejudicing a fair trial. Present laws place this type of publicity outside the reach of sub judice contempt. This thesis argues there should be a change in the law of sub judice contempt making it an offence for the media to publish the fact that a person is under investigation until the person has been charged.

The research attempts to review the significance of personal description in the investigation of armed robbery cases in the Paarl policing cluster and to explore the value of identifying armed robbery suspects. The purposes of conducting this research were to evaluate the existing procedures that investigators use regarding personal description of armed robbery suspects with the intention of determining its strengths and weaknesses as well as by looking at how this procedure can be improved. Also, this research explored how investigators utilised the personal description as a technique in identifying the armed robbery suspects internationally, thereby establishing the best practices. Moreover, to recommend new procedures in obtaining a personal description of armed robbery suspects. Furthermore, to empower the South African investigators and other investigators in terms of how personal description can be recorded accurately in the case dockets and be effectively used in tracing the suspects of armed robbery cases. / Criminology and Security Science / M.A. (Criminal Justice)

Les substances per- et polyfluoroalkylées (PFAS) représentent une large classe de composés chimiques synthétiques produits depuis plus de 60 ans. Les PFAS les plus couramment détectés à travers le monde dans la faune et les humains, le sulfonate de perfluorooctane (PFOS) et le perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), ont été classés comme polluants organiques persistants (POP) et sont responsables de nombreux effets sur la santé. Le PFOS et le PFOA sont inscrits à la convention de Stockholm à l'annexe B et à l'annexe A respectivement à partir de 2009 et 2020. En raison de sa persistance et de son potentiel de bioaccumulation, le PFOS a été progressivement retiré de la production aux États-Unis entre 2000 et 2002, inclus dans la liste « d'élimination virtuelle » au Canada et interdit dans les pays européens. Une fois rejetés dans l'environnement, les PFAS se comportent généralement très différemment de ce que l'on attend habituellement d'un POP. Ces travaux de recherche ont été entrepris afin de documenter les niveaux des PFAS historiques et nouvellement identifiés dans diverses matrices pertinentes pour l’exposition humaines, notamment l'eau potable et diverses espèces de poissons du Canada. Un autre objectif était d’évaluer l'influence de l’effluent d’une station d'épuration des eaux usées municipales sur les signatures isotopiques δ15N et les PFAS de deux poissons du fleuve, le doré jaune (Sander Vitreus) et le doré noir (Sander Canadensis). Ces travaux ont nécessité la mise en œuvre de méthodes d’analyse par chromatographie liquide et spectrométrie de masse à haute résolution. Enfin, une évaluation du risque lié à l’exposition au PFOS/PFOA pour l’environnement et les humains a été conduite. / Abstract: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent a broad class of synthetic chemicals produced over the past 60 years. The most commonly detected PFASs across the globe in various of wildlife, and humans, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), have been classified as persistent organic pollutants (POP), bioaccumulative and causing many health outcomes. PFOS and PFOA are listed to the Stockholm convention in Annex B and Annex A respectively in 2009 and 2020. Due to its persistence and bioaccumulation potential, PFOS was phased out of production in United States during 2000-2002, included in the “virtual elimination” list in Canada, and banned in European countries. Once released to the environment, PFASs generally behave very differently from what is usually expected for a POP. Here, we documented the levels of legacy PFASs and newly identified PFASs in drinking water, as well as in fish species from the Canadian environment. Another research objective was to evaluate the influence of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent on the δ15N isotopic signatures and PFAS levels in two fish species, Walleye (Sander vitreus) and Sauger (Sander canadensis). Analyses required the use of liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry. Finally, a risk assessment of PFOS/PFOA exposure to the environment and humans was conducted. Keywords: Targeted PFAS, suspect PFAS, δ15N, drinking water, fish, biota, environment, AFFF, high resolution mass spectrometry, risk assessment, Canada.