• Police aim to use tech, training and partnerships to tackle crime hotspots and improve performance.

• Officers’ stress, trauma and morale were major concerns raised at the policing summit.

Police minister Senzo Mchunu says despite budget issues, the department is determined to make the most of what it has and will be turning to technology, partnerships and training to improve how they fight crime.

He spoke after the 2025 Policing Summit at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, where police officials, experts and business partners met for three days to discuss problems and solutions under the theme “Efficiency in action: Optimising South Africa’s Policing Potential”.

Mchunu said the department is teaming up with business to fund projects that will strengthen detective work, upgrade forensic labs and improve tech tools.

Four provinces — Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape — have been flagged as crime hotspots.

“We are focusing on dealing decisively with crime in the identified provinces,” said Mchunu.

Top crime-fighting priorities include reducing murder rates, removing illegal firearms and drugs, and tackling gender-based violence and femicide.

There are also plans to fight kidnappings, extortion, cash-in-transit heists and livestock theft.

Mchunu said key strategies will focus on using better technology, boosting crime intelligence, improving detective skills and creating safer working conditions for officers.

SAPS national commissioner General Fannie Masemola said a new National Policing Summit Operations Room will track the progress of summit resolutions over the next five years.

He added that police morale is a serious concern, with many officers struggling under stress, fatigue and trauma.

“We explored how the trauma of daily exposure to violence affects the performance, judgment and long-term health of officers,” said Masemola.

He said hiring the right people — those with integrity, resilience and the right temperament — is key to building a stronger police force.

Pictured above: Premier Panyaza Lesufi, President Cyril Ramaphosa and minister of Police Senzo Mchunu.

Image source: GCIS