Protector or predator? - Institute for Security Studies

Gareth Newham and Andrew Faull
In some police agencies this culture is so strong that officials who report infringements
committed by their colleagues are isolated, intimidated and sometimes
harmed. A culture such as this does much to protect corrupt police officials, since
those most aware of their movements and activities (their colleagues) will not
cooperate with investigations against them. As one SAPS member told an interviewer
regarding his knowledge of colleagues’ criminal actions: ‘I heard about
it, I knew about it, but when the internal investigators came and asked me if I
would speak against them I said, “I know nothing.” Those guys will kill you.’ 44 In
April 2011 the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) complained of a lack of
cooperation from police when investigating police shootings, suggesting that the
‘code of silence’ was effective in hampering investigations into misconduct. 45
A key causative factor in police corruption is a low level of managerial supervision
and therefore of accountability. While out on the streets there is
little direct managerial oversight, and the work of the police is largely incidentspecific
‘not subject to generic decisions by remote commanders’. 47 This allows
most street-level police officials to resist managerial edicts, policies ‘and even
disciplinary action’ should they wish to. 48 Indeed, past detailed research and
analysis revealed that there was often conflict between ‘line officers’ (street level
commanders) and administrators (senior desk-based officers). 49 Because of this
conflict any ‘rule tightening’ imposed from the top could easily be disregarded
by police members on the ground. As Chan describes in Changing police culture,
policing a multi-cultural society:
The street cops who are still into the old ways of doing things are confused
and often enraged at the apparent change of the rules of the system. So they
fight back in the only way they have at their disposal: foot dragging, absenteeism,
and a host of similar coping mechanisms and self-defending techniques. 50
Over the past twenty years the SAPS has experienced significant and repeated
organisational restructuring, rule-changing, and a re-articulation of its mandate.
The changes have not always been easily accepted by officials and commanders,
who have developed informal and unofficial ways of dealing with the new rules. 51
This contributes to a breakdown in managerial control and organisational cohesion
and discipline.
One of the most challenging aspects of police management is to establish effective
systems of internal control and accountability. Low direct supervision is
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