Expectations of and satisfaction with the South African police service in the Rustenburg area

Abstract

Little quantitative research has been published on expectations of and satisfaction with the South African Police Service (SAPS) from the perspective of the community and the police members themselves. The objective of this study was to determine the expectations and satisfaction of both the community and the police regarding policing in the Rustenburg area. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Stratified random samples of both police members (N = 101) and community members (N = 418) were taken in the Rustenburg area. The results showed that members of the community and the police differ regarding policing priorities. Most police members reported that their performance in serving the community was good. A tot al of 47% of communit y members who had contact with the police showed little confidence in the police. Opsomming Min kwantitatiewe navorsing ten opsigte van verwagtinge en tevredenheid met die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD) vanuit die perspektief van die publiek en die polisiebeamptes is tot op hede gepubliseer. Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal wat die verwagtinge en tevredenheid van die publiek sowel as die polisie ten opsigte van polisiëring in die Rustenburg-gebied is. ’n Dwarsdeursnee-opnameontwerp is gebruik. ’n Gestratifiseerde ewekansige steekproef is geneem van polisiebeamptes (N = 101) sowel as van lede van die gemeenskap (N = 418) in die Rustenburg-gebied. Die resultate het aangetoon dat lede van die gemeenskap en polisiebeamptes ten opsigte van die prioriteite van polisiëring verskil. Die meeste polisielede het gerapporteer dat hul prestasie in diens van die publiek goed is. ’n Totaal van 47% van lede van die publiek wat kontak met die polisie gehad het, het aangedui dat hulle min vertroue in die polisie het.