SAPS training for new recruits slashed from 2 years to 8 months

19 April 2016

Cape Town - New police recruits will in future only be required to undergo eight months of training, less than half of the current two-year programme, SAPS announced on Tuesday.

The revised training schedule is aimed at a"“more proactive policing qualification, which should result in a professional, client-centred service to the citizens of SA".

SAPS’s divisional commissioner of human resource development, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, said in a statement that trainees would receive academic and tactical training, as well as experiential learning at police stations near the national police academies.

The shortened training programme would include one month of induction to familiarise trainees with the police station and basic activities at its community service centres, to "enhance trainees" understanding of police work, and should also improve their learning abilities”.

The recruits would also be introduced to the "culture of the SAPS, including the acceptable level of discipline required of members".

"The aim of this new training programme is to meet operational needs at station, cluster and provincial levels in line with the back-to-basics approach to policing," Mkhwanazi said.

"This has put an emphasis on having a committed, disciplined and professional police service that works in partnership with an active citizenry in the fight against crime."

Five thousand trainees started their training under the revised programme last week, while 3 000 were currently finishing one year of field training as part of the previous programme.

The 8 000 trainees would be deployed by December.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.