As violent crime and gang activity continue to escalate across South Africa particularly on the Cape Flats, public trust in the country’s crime intelligence system appears to be waning.
A recent VOC News poll revealed that most respondents doubt the effectiveness of crime intelligence in combating organized crime. Many expressed little to no faith in the system’s ability to respond to the growing levels of violence in their communities.
Weighing in on VOC Breakfast, Jeremy Veary, former head of police detectives in the Western Cape, stressed the urgent need to overhaul and strengthen South Africa’s intelligence capabilities.
“We need proper sense-making in crime intelligence. We need to expand our analytical capability and ensure that we go to trusted tradecraft in the intelligence world. Sources must be tested, and the information’s validity must be verified,” said Veary.
He also emphasized that crime cannot be solved through policing alone, arguing for a broader societal approach that tackles the root causes of violence and gang culture.
“If a gang can exist for over 100 or 200 years, there must be another reason other than pure criminality for its existence. We need to find out what that is and understand what it feeds off in our communities,” he explained.
Veary added that societal failure plays a key role in youth involvement in gangs.
“I always say, if a 13-year-old aspires to become a gangster, then society has failed that child. We need to reflect on how every part of society can contribute to addressing the social drivers of crime.”
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
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