SAPS cuts training at 'quality's expense'

Quantity not quality appears to be the driver of the new SA Police Service training schedule.

With practical training set to remain at its current 12 months, what has raised concerns is the drop in the theoretical training time from a year to eight months.

Police unions raised concerns earlier this week after new recruits' training was dropped from two years to just eight months.

The SAPS has since pointed out that the total training period for new recruits has only been cut by three months - from 24 to 21.

Under the old schedule recruits would receive a year's theoretical and a year's practical training.

Training now begins with a one- month induction phase, with recruits posted to police stations before they begin their eight-month theoretical training, and then a year's practical course.

While criminologists are optimistically cautious about the changes, for unions the decrease in theoretical training is a concern.

Institute for Security Studies policing researcher Gareth Newham said the length of training was not the concern, but rather the quality. There were also worries over the lack of independent training assessments.

"There need to be proper assessment programmes where the training provided to new recruits is assessed independently.

"The issue is that the police who undergo training must be independently assessed to avoid the problem of people being passed so that pass-rate targets are met."

Thabo Matsose, SA Police Union deputy general secretary, said the union was worried about the decrease in theoretical training.

"For us any decrease in training is bad, especially theoretical training.

''Training overall needs to be increased, especially as communities already distrust the quality of service provided by the police.

"Any decrease in training could potentially impact on service delivery," he said.