Recent experiments in police reform in post-conflict Africa: a review.
Janine Rauch and Elrena van der Spuy. Published by IDASA. Institute for Democracy in South Africa www.idasa.org.za . 2006.
The objectives of the Report are to describe and analyze trends in police transformation in selected post-conflict countries in Africa. The paper includes issues of police reform; demilitarisation of the police; changing personnel demographics; police and community relations; oversight and accountability; the role of donors in the process of reform; and transitional justice mechanisms. The countries covered by the report include an in-depth case study of the process of police reform in South Africa; brief descriptions of selected aspects of police reform in Angola, DRC, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sierra Leone and a brief overview of Chad, Ethiopia, Liberia, Sudan and Tanzania. (165 pages 1.12MB) View online >>>>

Post-Conflict Peacebuilding and National "Ownership": Meeting the Challenges of Sierra Leone. 
Peter Albrecht and Mark Malan. Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre. 2006. Report on the seminar Post-Conflict Peacebuilding and National Ownership: Lessons from the Sierra Leone Peace Process held in Accra December 2005. The seminar focused on administration reform and good governance; economic development; rule of law; and security sector reform. (162 pages 1MB) View online >>>>

An assessment report on Security Sector Reform in Liberia. 
Dr Thomas Jaye. Governance Reform Commission (GRC). Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre. 2006.
"The GRC carried out an assessment of the country’s security sector in August 2006. The assessment process involved consultation with the heads of key security agencies and the appropriate government ministries that make up the country’s security architecture. It also involved talking to people in the national legislature, particularly those serving on the Defence and National Security Committees. Representatives of UNMIL, US Embassy, civil society groups and ex-servicemen were also consulted. The assessment process also involved a review of the existing legislation on the security sector. This assessment report is therefore a reflection of the discussions held over a two-week period. It also reflects the relevant findings of available reports by UNMIL, RAND Corporation, existing legislation and legal frameworks and the general impression of the GRC team".   View online >>>>

Towards a New Approach: Monitoring Metropolitan Police Departments by the Gauteng Department for Community Safety. 
Gareth Newham. Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation. 2006.
"One of the key oversight responsibilities of the Gauteng Department of Community Safety is to monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of policing agencies in the province. This includes the monitoring of the three Metropolitan Police Departments (MPDs) that were established between 2001 and 2002. As part of an initiative to assist the Gauteng Department of Community Safety to enhance civilian oversight of Metropolitan Police Departments in the province, the Criminal Justice Programme (CJP) at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) undertook to draft this report that analyses the current information used to monitor the MPDs with a view to enhancing the Department's mandate". View online >>>>
    
Building Respect for the Badge: The management of the use of force by police.
David Bruce. Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation. 2006.
"In day-to-day policing, police members encounter many situations where there is the potential they will be required to use force. In some of these situations their ability to use force properly may make the difference between whether they survive or not, or whether they are able to carry out their duties effectively or not". View online >>>>

South Africa

SAPS public image ‘undermined’.
Simpiwe Piliso. Sunday Times. 03/12/2006.
The anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International SA has called on President Thabo Mbeki to protect the reputation of the police in the face of allegations against National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi.  View details >>>>

Public 'have more faith in security guards than police'.
Nathi Olifant. Cape Times www.capetimes.co.za 24/11/2006.
More South Africans place their trust in private security guards than in the police, according to new research. Professors Johan Prinsloo and Coen Marais of the University of South Africa's Department of Criminology said in their study that a "huge gap" existed between the police and the private security industry, with the security industry scoring "more efficiency points" than police. View details >>>>

Selebi Must Choose His Friends Carefully and Keep Crime at a Safe Distance.
Dr Johan Burger, Crime and Justice Programme, ISS Tshwane (Pretoria). The Sunday Independent. 19/11/2006.
For weeks now the South African media has been debating the position of Jackie Selebi, the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service. View details >>>> 

Police purposely bungled Kebble investigation – Judge Heath.
Julius Cobbett. Moneyweb. 21/11/2006.
Judge Willem Heath says it’s “impossible” that police didn’t make the progress they should have in the murder investigation. He says in any other country, a commissioner like Jackie Selebi would have resigned.  View details >>>>

Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority: briefing on the state of the security industry.
Safety and Security Portfolio Committee. Reported by Parliamentary Monitoring Committee. www.pmg.org.za 8/11/2006.
The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority presented its Annual Report to the Committee. Among the Committee’s main concerns were how the Authority was dealing with the ongoing crisis with cash-in-transit vehicles and how it was dealing with the impending national strike. The delegation was roundly congratulated for the Authority’s progress over the past year.  View details >>>>

Centralised structure of police force no longer serves SA’s needs. 
Jonny Steinberg. Business Day. 23/10/2006.
Those driving the changes claim they are strengthening the grassroots, giving neighbourhood station commissioners the resources to manage their jurisdictions. Yet insiders say the restructuring process is being managed haphazardly, and the organisation is demoralised.  View details >>>>