HIV/AIDS awareness and attitudes of junior to middle management in the South African Police Service

Abstract

The study investigated the current awareness programs from national strategy down to different departments focusing mainly on junior and middle management (level 1 to 12). The researcher provided HIV I AIDS background; perceptions of police officers as well as personnel falling under public service. It was clear that the South African Police Service is forming part of all stake holders engaging in fighting and developing policies to be implemented at the ground level. The above statement is supported by various literatures. During the literature review it was -discovered that even though the police is having one of the best HIV I AIDS support component, most members still ignore the rules and guidelines as stipulated on the HIV I AIDS awareness policy. The police organisations are generally difficult places to address the issue of HIV I AIDS, due primarily to the police culture of silence and lack of openness. Due to general lack of solid data and systematic research allows only for anecdotally-based views ranging from dispute to doomsday. Self administered questionnaire was used as means of data collection. Findings advocate that employees based at Mounted Academy: Potchefstroom and North West provincial office have high level of knowledge on HIV/AIDS. However, the majority believe that there is also a perception that the nature of police work, in response to the high level of violent crime in South Africa, places officers at a higher risk of HIV infection. When resources are stretched and there is pressure to 'get the job done', officers sometimes operate without considering their safety in terms of HIV I AIDS. Lastly most members believe that due to deployments and other special duties it is essential for senior management to consider the immediate families as well as provisioning of proper housing.