Interpol National Central Bureau : an operational policy

• Main Author: Foxcroft, Graham
• Other Authors: Cloete, G. S.
• Format: Others
• Language: en_ZA
• Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2012
• Subjects: International Criminal Police Organization; South African Police Service; Law enforcement > International cooperation; Policy sciences; Dissertations > Public management and planning; Theses > Public management and planning
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50376

Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Foreign criminal syndicates are using South Africa as a springboard to commit certain crimes throughout the world. The crimes vary from fraud to murder to dealing in drugs. The South African Police Service does possess the capacity and the means to trace and arrest these criminals but this is not enough. Foreigners arrested in this country are tried and sentenced without any checks being done in order to determine whether the subject is possibly sought by other policing agencies throughout the world. One of the means available to the South African Police Service but which is completely under utilizsed is the component "Interpol", which is based within the Crime Intelligence division at Head Office in Pretoria. One reason for the under utilisation of this component is the absence of an operational policy. The design of a policy document will inform members of the South African Police Service of the environment in which Interpol operates and what contribution it can make in respect of- the investigation of crimes that have an international dimension. The theoretical aspects of the policy environment have been discussed and it was found that it is of importance that the proper goals and objectives are formulated and that policy analyst must be able to differentiate between the two. As progress is made in respect of the policy document the analyst will have to keep abreast with current tendencies and make the necessary adjustments. These changes must not be of such a nature that the goals and objectives of the policy document are changed or altered. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the police, especially in Europe, began to realise that criminals were regularly committing offences in other countries and then returning to their own country. There was nothing that the police could do in this regard as the extradition of a criminal was done applied for in exceptional circumstances. The possibility of establishing an international policing agency in order to assist all policing agencies in combating these "cross-border" crimes was investigated. The first conference was held during 1914 in Monaco. This was the first of many conferences that would lead to the establishment of the international policing agency known as "Interpol". South Africa only joined the organisation in September 1993. It is proposed that an operational policy document be drafted and send to all the divisions of the South African Police Service. This document clearly stipulates how Interpol Pretoria can be of assistance to all the divisions of the South African Police Service. This includes what must be done when foreign nationals are arrested in South Africa and when members of the South African police Service undertake official journeys to foreign countries. The document also includes how the component is managed, its structure and the nature of its duties. Research has proven that there is a need for a policy document for Interpol Pretoria. It is recommended that the operational policy document be accepted. Once accepted, the document must be converted into a national instruction. The advantages of a document of this nature are: ./' The component already exists and no additional funding is required to establish the component. ./' More members of the South African Police Service will be able to make use of the services rendered by the component. Of the disadvantages in this regard, is that it is a long-winded procedure that has to be followed before the document is approved. Visits will have to be undertaken to hold "information sessions" with the commanders within the various provinces. Research has illustrated that policy documents are valuable within the Public Service. The absence of a policy document is not necessarily a disadvantage to certain units within the policing environment but when it comes to available resources not being optimally utilized, the reason therefore could be the absence on an operational policy. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika word deur buitelandse misdaadsindikate as afsetgebied gebruik om sekere misdade oor die hele wêreld heen te pleeg. Die misdade wissel van bedrog tot moord tot dwelmhandel. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens beskik weloor bronne en kennis om die misdadigers op te spoor en in hegtenis te neem. Maar dit is nie genoeg nie. Buitelanders wat in hegtenis geneem word, word vervolg sonder dat daar vasgestel word of die persoon deur ander polisie-agentskappe in ander wêrelddele gesoek word. Van die bronne wat tot die beskikking van die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens is, maar wat heeltemalonderbenut word, is die "Interpol"-komponent van Misdaadintelligensie, Hoofkatnoor, Pretoria. Een van die redes hiervoor is dat daar geen operasionele beleid vir hierdie komponent bestaan nie. Die opstel van so 'n beleidsdokument sal lede van die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens inlig oor die werksmilieu waarbinne "Interpol" werk en watter bydrae die komponent by die ondersoek van misdade met 'n internasionale dimensie kan maak. Die teoretiese aspekte van die beleidsmilieu is bespreek en daar is gevind dat dit van kardinale beland is om behoorlik geformuleerde doelstellings en doelwitte op te stel. Die beleidsanalis behoort ook tussen die twee kan onderskei. Soos die opstel van die document vorder, is dit belangrik dat die analis met nuwe tendense moet tred hou en die nodige verstellings behoort aanbring te word. Dié verstellings behoort nie van so 'n aard wees dat dit die doelstellings en doelwitte van die beleidsdokument verander nie. Teen die middle van die negentiende eeu het die polisie, veral in Europa begin besef dat misdadigers gereeld misdade in ander lande pleeg en dan na hulle eie land terugkeer. Daar was niks wat die polisiebeamptes hieraan kon doen nie aangesien die uitlewering van 'n verdagte slegs in uitsonderlik egevalle aangevra is. Die moontlikheid is ondersoek dat 'n internasionale polisie-organisasie op die been gebring moes word wat alle polisie-agentskappe sou help om "oorgrensmisdade" te bekamp. Die eerste konferensie van dié is in 1914 in Monaco gehou. Dit was die eerste van 'n reeks konferensies wat aanleidign sou gee tot die totstandkoming van die internasionale polisie-organisasie wat vandag as "Interpol" bekend staan. Suid- Afrika het eers in September 1993 lid van dié organisasie geword. 'n Operasionele beleidsdokument word voorgestel wat na al die afdelings van die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens versprei moet word. Die dokument gee 'n uiteensetting van hoe Interpol Pretoria ander afdelings van die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens van hulp kan wees, soos byvoorbeeld wat van lede in sekere gevalle verlang word, soos waar buitelandse burgers gearresteer word en/of wanneer lede amptelike besoeke aan ander lande aflê. Die dokument gee ook 'n uiteensetting van hoe die komponent bedryf word, asook van sy struktuur en werksaamhede. Die navorsing bewys dat daar 'n behoefte aan 'n beleidsdokument vir Interpol Pretoria bestaan. Daar word aanbeveel dat die operasionele beleidsdokument aanvaar behoort te word. Nadat dit goedgekeur is, behoort dit in 'n nasionale instruksie omskep te word. Die voordele van so 'n dokument is meervoudig, en sluit die volgende in: ./ Die Komponent bestaan reeds en bykomende fondse hoef nie daarvoor bewillig te word nie . ./ Meer lede van die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens sal die dienste gebruik wat die komponent verskaf. Van die nadele is dat dit 'n langdurige proses is om so 'n beleidsdokument te laat goedkeur. Besoeke sal aan die verskeie provinsiale kantore gebring behoort te word om 'inligtingsessies' met die bevelvoerders te hou. Die navorsig het weer eens bewys dat beleidsdokumente nog steeds 'n waardevolle plek in die Staatsdiens het. Die gebrek aan 'n beleid is nie noodwendig nadelig vir sekere eenhede binne die polisiemilieu nie, maar wanneer daar gekyk word na die onderbenutting van bestaande bronne, kan dit heel moontlik aan die afwesigheid van 'n operasionele beleidsdokument toegeskryf word.