TheTroublemakerTimes

 

The Democratic Alliance has one very valid platform of campaigning in the issue of crime. In a campaign that is usually only about how bad Zuma and his “cronies” are.

Crime is a real problem, and the issue of crime prevention and control should be at the top of any agenda, and the previous regime has failed miserably therein, of that, there is no doubt, what is of particular concern are some of the measures, others are very good, that the DA suggests.

To begin with they claim they will tighten up on bail, then more police and then community policing and then tougher sentences.

It’s a recurrent call, and it represents not just massive ignorance about the criminal justice system  and a gigantic intrusion into fundamental rights, but also a very subtle intrusion into the independence and discretion of our judiciary.

It stems from an assumption about crime, that if you tighten up on judicial process and increase penalties, then you reduce crime.

Its based on a false assumption.

That a criminal is going to stop crime if you increase the severity of the consequences if he is caught. As if criminals decide to commit crime with a sort of balance sheet of consequences in their heads.

What criminals are asking, is not what will happen if I get caught, but rather, what is the likelihood that I will get caught.

Contrary to popular opinion, South Africa does not have lax laws with regard to crime, in fact we have some of the toughest sentences in the world. Take for example rape.

In practice, due to legislation, a rapist can look forward to 15 years for a single act, and life for any aggravating factors. IN fact, the minimum you can get for rape 15 years, and they are being convicted regularly and sentenced to life in prison.

Yet rape continues to grow,  and criminals seem undeterred.

Bail for rapists is extraordinarily hard to get due to legislation. In fact so difficult that there are increasing amounts of innocent people who languish without bail, awaiting trials that they will win, for years, merely on the accusation of rape. Often with no evidence.

It’s a nasty side effect of trying to change years of tested judicial process and due process.

It’s the perfect example to, for this issue of rape, and the amendment of rights, the shifting of onus for bail, and the strictest possible sentences have resulted in what ?

An increase in rape.

So, why continue with this approach.

It doesn’t work.

Throwing more police and prosecutors at the thing also doesn’t work.

But they make nice campaign promises. 

The big pink elephant in the room, dear reader, is police incompetence.

Yes, and by that I mean that simple example when you phoned the flying squadv to tell them a man was climbing up your gutter, and they put you on hold, or told you to phone your local station, or could not get the name of your road, or wanted your ID number and the correct spelling of your name, and directions to your house.

Have you been to a police station ?

Have you tried to find a prisoner in cells.

Have you tried to find out if there is a charge pending ?

Have you seen the antiquated and ridiculous systems the police use ?

Have you heard how bad the knowledge of crime fighting is from police in the stand at a trial?

The reason, dear reader, why more and more people turn to crime, is simple.

They probably wont get caught.

Police are ridiculously underpaid.

Madly so.

We live in a country full of crime, we live in fear, and we bitch about it regularly, but we pay the people who we task with solving this, peanuts.

To risk their lives.

You pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

This is not a new idea, you probably have a private security company.

Who by the way, charge you a fortune and pay its enforcers,

Peanuts.

We don’t need to become a police state, by increasing numbers, we need to pay more, for better quality.

A lot more.

Any political party that is serious about crime fighting needs to get serious about the caliber of fighter.

That is simply a financial decision.

But its cheaper, dear reader, to take away the rights of prisoners awaiting trial, and give them bigger sentences , to make ourselves feel safer, while we watch crime spiral out of control.

Or we could put our money where our mouths are any pay up for better training, better facilities and sharper police.

 

The convictions will follow like pounds to saved pennies.