Assessing selected dimensions of police service delivery within the Potchefstroom accounting area of the North West Province

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the perception or view of the public on the incidence of police corruption as well as its influence on service delivery within the Potchefstroom accounting area in the North-West Province. By utilising a literature review and 136 questionnaires, the study found that the majority of community members did not regard all police officials to be corrupt, but that corruption within the SAPS was in fact endemic. The SAPS' lack of understanding the negative influence that real or perceived police corruption has on the relationship between the SAPS and the community was apparent. One of the causal factors of police corruption, identified during this study, was a weak recruitment strategy without proper vetting of police officials. The analyses of the various age groups and the sex of the respondents showed no variable effect on the study. The outcome of the study uncovered a definite relationship between police corruption and the level of service delivery within the research focus area of the Potchefstroom accounting area. The study offers a number of recommendations for the improvement of the SAPS' structures to safeguard against occurrences of police corruption and its influence on police service delivery.