Measuring the integrity of law enforcement officers in Gauteng Province

Abstract

Regular measurement of police integrity is essential in order to bolster interventions aimed at enhancing police integrity, thus combat police corruption. This paper presents the results of a study conducted by the Gauteng Department of Community Safety from June to December 2015 to measure the integrity of police officers in the province. The results of the study would serve as baseline data for the department during the mid-term review of the Gauteng Safety Strategy in 2017 particularly relating to the evaluation of progress made on the pillar that focuses on integrity management. The study utilised the quantitative research method to collect data. The study found that generally, law enforcement officers have knowledge about official rules of their agencies although it seemed to be inadequate in some cases. It was also established that the code of silence is exceptionally strong among law enforcement officers across all the Law Enforcement Agencies studied. In order to turn the situation around, it is recommended that initiatives to bolster knowledge about official rules and policies regulating the behaviour of police officers should be intensified. Furthermore, the agencies should contemplate utilising technologies such as body cameras and on-board cameras to monitor the conduct of the police.