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The integration of technology has been identified as a major factor that can improve the performance of community police, reduce crime rates, and enhance community security. The purpose of this study was therefore to identify the technologies employed by the community police unit of the Ghana Police Service and the challenges that impede the full integration of technology into community policing. By engaging 27 participants from the Ghana Police Service in the Greater-Accra, Ashanti and Northern Regions, the research used a qualitative descriptive approach to analyse the use of communication technologies, surveillance tools, and data management systems in community policing. Key findings revealed that technologies such as mobile phones, CCTV cameras, and data mapping tools are instrumental in enhancing real-time communication, monitoring, and crime prevention. However, significant obstacles, including financial constraints, low digital literacy among officers, and community trust issues, hinder full integration. The study recommended that the Ghana Police Service seeks partnerships with private organizations to secure funding for technological resources, expand digital literacy programs for officers, and engage communities to build trust around technology use in policing. These findings contribute to the discourse on modernising law enforcement and underscore the importance of technology for effective community engagement and public safety in Ghana. By addressing these challenges, law enforcement can achieve a balanced integration of technology to support community policing objectives.

This paper aims to investigate the incorporation of the ILP approach in the research area. It assesses If this approach has been incorporated into crime fighting in the police station’s areas which form part of the research. The research was based in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The aim was to establish the incorporation of ILP in the day-to-day operation of the police, and 8 participants were drawn between the CIO and OPO stationed in four districts (Mkhanyakude, Zululand, uThukela, and Amajuba). The participants included two former police officers (one former Commander of CI and a former Station Commander) who were used to validate information by active police officers. One District Commander was also interviewed. Qualitative research methodology was followed to conduct the research and a purposive method of data gathering was used targeting police officers who work in crime intelligence units and those who have authority over the operational members of the SAPS. They provided information that was used to determine the incorporation of the ILP in the day-to-day operation of the SAPS in the research area. The paper found that this policing approach has not been incorporated into some components of policing in the research area. The major identified stumbling in the incorporation is the structural arrangement of the Crime Intelligence Unit which does not sync with crime combating at the station level.

Societies` views concerning the Criminal Justice System institutions are shaped not only by opportunities to interact with such institutions during normal work but also in part by efforts due to the larger mission (of these institutions) of encouraging and supporting such attitudes. Due to the global COVID 19 pandemic, most countries have implemented a lockdown as an initiative to control the spread of the virus. South Africa is no exception as the country joined most countries and announced the national lockdown in March 2020. With the national lockdown, Criminal Justice agencies such as the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) were deployed across the country to ensure compliance with the lockdown regulations. The police are the most visible and powerful arm of the state, the nature of the state and the way it is perceived has a profound impact on police-community relations and vice versa. With South Africa’s pronouncement of the national lockdown and state of emergency due to the pandemic, more inquiries and investigations into police practice during the national lockdown will be made. It is precisely in this context that this study aims to reflect on police-community relations during the national lockdown. A criminological analysis on the ramifications of the dented police-community relations due to the national lockdown will be explored. With the national lockdown regulations, clearly gazetted, this study will also employ criminological theories to further interrogate the regulations that impacted on the dented police-community relations.

The South African Police Services (SAPS) has a constitutional responsibility to prevent, combat, and investigate crime that would naturally occur within communities. It therefore stands to reason that, if the police are to fullfil this responsibility, community members should be involved. This paper examines the phenomenon of lack of community involvement in the fight against stock theft in Dr. Pixley ka Isaka Seme Municipality, Mpumalanga Province. To achieve this objective, it was necessary to first determine the extent to which community in the Dr. Pixley ka Isaka Seme Municipality is involved in the fight against of stock theft. A qualitative research approach was adopted for this study with the use of semi-structured in-depth interviews to collect data. The sample consisted of 22 participants selected through purposive sampling, who included farmers, herdsmen, Community Police Forum members, and community leaders. The study found that the community in the Dr. Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Municipality is not involved in the fight against stock theft and that this could mainly be attributed to the poor relationship between the South African Police Service and the community. It was also found that there are no regular meetings taking place to ensure that there is a common understanding regarding various stakeholders’ responsibilities in an attempt to combat stock theft within the area of study. There are no awareness campaigns to discuss the stock theft trends in Dr. Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Municipality area between the police and the community.

Rural police stations in South Africa continue to operate under conditions of severe resource scarcity. This study examines the operational realities of police officers working in under-resourced rural police stations in the Eastern Cape Province, focusing on how they adapt through improvisation and coping strategies. A qualitative research approach was employed using semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively selected police officers involved in frontline and investigative duties. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings show that officers face shortages that affect patrols, response times, and investigations. To manage these constraints, officers depend on improvisation strategies such as sharing resources, adjusting work routines, using personal devices, and cooperating closely with local communities. While these strategies demonstrate resilience and commitment, they also place pressure on officers and risk normalising inadequate working conditions. This study contributes to rural policing scholarship by demonstrating how policing is sustained through everyday adaptation under conditions of chronic scarcity and highlights the implications for institutional accountability and officer wellbeing. In doing so, the study aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), through its focus on improving working conditions and supporting police officers operating in resource-constrained rural environments.

Rural police stations in South Africa continue to operate under conditions of severe resource scarcity. This study examines the operational realities of police officers working in under-resourced rural police stations in the Eastern Cape Province, focusing on how they adapt through improvisation and coping strategies. A qualitative research approach was employed using semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively selected police officers involved in frontline and investigative duties. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings show that officers face shortages that affect patrols, response times, and investigations. To manage these constraints, officers depend on improvisation strategies such as sharing resources, adjusting work routines, using personal devices, and cooperating closely with local communities. While these strategies demonstrate resilience and commitment, they also place pressure on officers and risk normalising inadequate working conditions. This study contributes to rural policing scholarship by demonstrating how policing is sustained through everyday adaptation under conditions of chronic scarcity and highlights the implications for institutional accountability and officer wellbeing. In doing so, the study aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), through its focus on improving working conditions and supporting police officers operating in resource-constrained rural environments.

This study examines the effectiveness of police visibility in reducing crime and enhancing community trust in the police within the selected area in Tembisa township, South Africa. Guided by Rational choice theory to explain how the presence of police visibility alters cost-benefit analysis by increasing the risk of detection and apprehension.  A mixed-method approach was employed; qualitative data were collected using structured interviews with 151 participants, including police officers, community policing forum members and community residents, while quantitative data were gathered using paper-based questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics in SPSS. Thematic analysis was used to interpret qualitative responses. The findings indicate that police visibility in identified crime hot spots was frequent and unpredictable, implemented through strategies such as roadblocks, stop-and-search operations, random night patrols, and escorting commuters to taxi ranks during early morning hours. Participants reported a notable reduction in street and violent crime, accompanied by improved perceptions of safety and increased community trust in the police. However, challenges including over-policing, internal misconduct and poor professionalism, such as officers soliciting money during patrols, undermined trust in some areas. the study recommends strengthening hot-spot policing through increased personnel, improved oversight, and the use of body-worn cameras for urgent government investment in police operations. 

This paper examines the ambivalent relationship between community–police relations and informal guardianship systems in rural crime prevention in uMlalazi Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Rural communities continue to experience persistent crime alongside low levels of trust in formal policing structures, raising questions about the effectiveness of institutional crime prevention strategies. The study explores how trust and distrust shape crime-reporting behaviour, evaluates the effectiveness of Community Policing Forums (CPFs) in rural contexts, and examines how informal guardianship systems interact with traditional and municipal governance institutions. A qualitative research design was adopted, using semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively selected participants, including SAPS officers, CPF members, traditional leaders, municipal officials, and community members. Data were analysed thematically to identify patterns of cooperation, conflict, fear, and silence in everyday crime prevention practices. The findings reveal that CPFs are often weakened by criminal infiltration and fragile community–police partnerships. Traditional leaders emerge as primary informal guardians, enjoying strong cultural legitimacy but operating without a clear legal framework. In geographically isolated communities, residents have developed advanced digital surveillance and first-response systems to compensate for delayed police response; however, these initiatives remain unrecognised and unsupported by formal policing institutions. The study concludes that rural crime prevention failures are driven less by resource constraints than by deep-rooted mistrust, highlighting the need for relationship-oriented policy interventions rather than infrastructure-focused solutions.

Ethical conduct and professionalism are fundamental to democratic policing, directly shaping police legitimacy, public trust, and governance credibility. In South Africa, Traffic and Metropolitan Police Officers (TMPOs) operate at the frontline of municipal law enforcement, engaging daily with citizens while navigating complex institutional, political, and operational environments. Despite their strategic role, TMPOs continue to face persistent ethical challenges linked to weak governance structures, political interference, uneven accountability mechanisms, resource constraints, and organisational cultures that tolerate or normalise misconduct.This study examines how governance arrangements, organisational culture, leadership practices, and operational conditions shape ethical behaviour and professional standards among TMPOs. Drawing on qualitative data from a doctoral study conducted across four South African municipalities, the analysis applies the Governance–Ethics–Public Trust Framework to interpret officers lived experiences of ethical decision-making and accountability. The findings reveal a cyclical relationship in which weak governance undermines ethical conduct, declining professionalism erodes public trust, and diminished trust further destabilises institutional legitimacy. The study contributes empirical insight into an under-researched area of municipal policing and demonstrates that ethical challenges are systemic rather than individual in nature. The article concludes by outlining evidence-based implications for strengthening governance, leadership accountability, professionalisation, and public trust in Traffic and Metropolitan Policing.

The professionalisation of policing in South Africa has increasingly highlighted the tension between academic achievement and organisational recognition within the South African Police Service (SAPS). Despite the presence of highly qualified police officials—many of whom began their careers through the police academy and advanced academically to postgraduate and doctoral levels—promotion and appointment processes frequently bypass these individuals. Instead, external candidates, often from non-policing professions such as education, are recruited into senior leadership positions. This practice raises critical concerns about fairness, institutional morale, and the future of professional policing. The paper further situates its analysis within the broader fields of organisational leadership and human resource management, highlighting how recognition of academic qualifications contributes to improved decision-making, motivation, and organisational performance. This article explores the implications of disregarding internally qualified candidates in favour of outsiders, arguing that such practices erode morale, weaken discipline, and undermine the professional identity of the SAPS. Drawing on comparative international insights, the study demonstrates how other jurisdictions leverage academic expertise in leadership promotion, ensuring that merit and institutional experience are valued. The article concludes by recommending a transparent, merit-based approach that integrates both policing experience and academic achievement in leadership appointments, thereby strengthening professionalism, discipline, and public trust in the SAPS. The question of promotions and leadership appointments within the South African Police Service (SAPS) has long been a matter of contention. While efforts have been made to professionalise policing in South Africa, contradictions remain between academic advancement and recognition in organisational structures. Many SAPS members begin their careers at the police academy, commit decades of service, and pursue further academic studies up to doctoral level. Despite these efforts, their contributions are often overlooked in favour of external appointments from unrelated professions, including teaching.