Officers of the Newlands East African Police Service (SAPS): Thank you very much for your cooperation and contributions to the completion of this study. This study aimed to explore South African Police Services (SAPS) perceptions of weather patterns as a contributing factor to residential burglaries in the Newlands East Police Area, Durban.
Introduction
The problem statement
The pattern is the same in all provinces, with nighttime burglary/theft most likely, followed by afternoon hours. The morning hours are the least likely time for a burglary/theft in all provinces except the Western Cape, where a burglary/theft is equally likely to occur at any time of the day (Crime Victim Survey.
Research aim and objectives
Research questions
What are the perceptions of the SAPS members about the weather patterns on residential burglaries in the Newlands East Policing Area. How do different weather patterns contribute to the incidence of residential burglaries in the Newlands East policing area.
Operationalisation of relevant concepts
- Crime
- Property related crime
- Housebreaking/burglary at residential premises
- Weather
- Seasonality
- Perceptions
What are the challenges that exist between the local SAPS and the residents of Newlands Policing Area in responding to burglaries at residential premises during adverse weather patterns. How is the communication and collaboration between the community and the local SAPS to address burglaries at residential premises during changes in weather patterns in the Newlands East Policing Area.
Study significance
Outline of the dissertation
This chapter also provides a discussion of the literature relevant to the current study. This chapter also highlighted some of the strengths and limitations that these methods had in data collection.
Summary
This chapter also introduced and described the theories that explain why the research problem exists. This chapter also presents a review of existing literature and situates the current study within the body of existing knowledge.
Introduction
Furthermore, this chapter demonstrated an understanding of theories and concepts relevant to the current study. The literature reviewed in this chapter provides an understanding of how individuals interact with the physical and social environment.
The National Development Plan 2030
The purpose of this chapter is to present the National Development Plan 2030, which underlies this research (as mentioned in the introductory part of this research). The fourth part of this chapter introduced and described theories that explain the problem under study.
General weather patterns in KwaZulu-Natal, Durban
There are five fundamental priorities that the NDP is prioritizing to achieve crime-free communities. Because this priority emphasizes active citizen involvement and co-responsibility in achieving a crime-free South Africa.
The nature of burglary at residential premises
- Temporal weather patterns
- Time of day/day of week/month of the year/periods
- Notable methods of gaining entry
- Probable motivations and suitable items targeted
- The section process for housebreaker’s targets
In the USA, electrical equipment (including televisions, sound systems and laptops) and firearms are targeted (Budd, 1999; Weisel, 2002). 6 percent of households that were victims of residential burglary lost electrical appliances in the incident.
The phenomenon of weather patterns and burglary at residential premises
The weather conditions that were used were as follows; temperature as well as precipitation which the authors discovered confirmation that they reinforced that property crimes were affected by the weather conditions in the investigation. Therefore, the rational consideration of the offender under rational choice theory is that, this is likely to reduce the likelihood of being caught and as a result increase the number of property crimes.
Burglary at residential and environmental: criminological theoretical perspectives
Routine Activities Theory
Access consists of all the environmental as well as situational features that may enable the perpetrator to reach the appropriate target. For this reason, some researchers emphasize that the activities people engage in are the basis of routine activity theory, it is therefore imperative to understand the pattern of these activities over time as well as their relationship to weather conditions (Le Beau & Langworthy, 1986; Ceccato, 2005).
Rational Choice Theory
- Preventative measures for residential burglary during different weather patterns
- What the community can do to respond to burglary at residential premises
Because weather patterns are a variable in the crime production function, where people make choices about whether to commit crime based on the rational consideration of costs and benefits (Becker, 1968). Neighborhood surveillance can prevent burglaries in residential buildings, for example when people are away for a longer period of time during the hot summer months or when they are on holiday. The community can know and keep an eye on the house.
Justification of the study
Furthermore, this study aims to make a valuable contribution to the community of Newland East Policing Area. This chapter also provided a discussion of the literature relevant to the present study.
Introduction
Research design
To explore weather patterns in residential burglaries in the Newlands East Police Area, Durban, the researcher adopted a qualitative research design. In the present study, a qualitative research design enabled the researcher to explore the attitudes, opinions, perceptions and views of SAPS officers on the contributing factor of weather patterns to property crimes in the Newlands East Policing Area.
Exploratory case study method
In addition, a qualitative research design was suitable for this study because it enabled different perceptions of the SAPS officers regarding crime and weather patterns to be elicited as it facilitated a framework in which they could explain and describe their feelings and experiences. Therefore, the exploratory case study was suitable for this study as it provided an opportunity to elicit SAPS officials' perceptions of crime and weather patterns.
Research paradigm
Essentially, this study focused on gaining a deeper understanding of SAPS officers' perceptions of residential burglary weather patterns in the Newlands East Policing Area. The researcher seeks to understand the weather patterns of residential burglaries as 'perceived' by the SAPS officers in their area of policing.
Strategy for participant recruitment
Entry into the research site
Second, the researcher met with the management of Newlands East Police Station prior to conducting the study. Then the station management selected the individuals to participate in the study and provided the researcher with their numbers and office numbers to arrange meetings with them.
Selection of participants
In the meeting, the researcher outlined what the research covers, mentioning the purpose and objectives of the study to indicate the type of individuals the researcher needs to interview. It is obtained by the judgment of someone who knows the relevant characteristics of the population', hence the choice of purposive sampling and asking the station's management to select the participants.
Scope of the study
Study location
The police station is on the eastern side of Newlands, hence the name "Newlands East Police Station". Therefore, Newlands East police station was adopted in this study and the sample was taken from this police station.
Data collection
In-depth interviews
In addition, it enabled the researcher to obtain in-depth information on SAPS officers' perceptions of weather patterns in residential burglaries. The researcher interviewed SAPS officers with in-depth knowledge of responding to residential burglaries in different weather patterns.
Data analysis
Familiarity with the data also enabled the researcher to gain an initial understanding of the information. In the fifth stage, the researcher defined all the themes, which enabled the researcher to do the final stage of writing the final report.
Ethical considerations
In this study, the researcher first applied to the Humanities and Social Science Research Ethics Committee (HSSREC) of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) for approval to conduct this study in accordance. The researcher adhered to sections (1-6) of the said document and fully understood the instructions in the role of the applicant and proceeded to submit the compensation and declaration documents (SAPS, 2006).
Methods to ensure trustworthiness
- Credibility
- Transferability
- Dependability
- Conformability
Consequently, the researcher explained the assessment area, the participants as well as the methods used to collect information in detail. This is so because the researcher was able to remain objective throughout the course of the study.
Limitations and challenges experienced in conducting the study
- Conceptual demarcation
- Financial constraints and travelling distances
- Geographic delimitation
- Limited previous research in South Africa on the linkage of weather patterns and burglary
- Permission to conduct the current study
- The study participants
- Time delimitation (setting dates for the interviews)
In addition, printing material for the research was more expensive than the researcher had anticipated. Nevertheless, this challenge encountered by the researcher did not prevent the researcher from achieving the research objectives of the current study.
Summary
Introduction
Summary of the research
The researcher interviewed seven SAPS officers on their perceptions of weather patterns in residential burglaries. As officials could explain, describe their feelings, experiences, and provide real-life examples of the contributing factors of weather patterns to residential burglaries.
Discussion of the findings
- Question 1
- Question 2
- Question 3
- Question 4
- Question 5
- Question 6
- Question 7
- Question 8
- Question 9
What are the current strategies that you are aware of by the local South African Police in the Newlands East Policing Area against weather patterns in residential burglary. Any other comments you would like to make about the link between weather patterns and residential burglaries in the Newlands East police area.
Summary
Introduction
Conclusions relating to the achievement of the objectives of the study
- Exploring the SAPS perceptions on weather patterns on residential burglary in Newlands
- To understand the contributing factors of weather patterns in the occurrences of residential
- Explore the current strategies employed by the Newlands East SAPS in response to weather
- To evaluate the challenges that may exist between the local SAPS and residents in
- Identification of community’s engagement in addressing burglary at residential premises
From the table above, it is clear that the qualitative methodology has brought new insight into the casual relationship between weather patterns and the occurrence of residential burglaries. This challenge also highlighted a lack of trust that the community members have for the police officers.
Recommendations for the attention of SAPS and community members
From the analysis it is evident that not all members of the community are engaged in dealing with this crime and that the structures that have been created to deal with the crime together with the community are not implemented with immediate success in the community. It is recommended that community members be part of CPFs or Neighborhood Watches that have been established in the community and actively participate in their deployment in areas that have not been established.
Recommendations for future research
By actively participating in the aforementioned organizations, community members can be aware of their roles and responsibilities, as well as the challenges faced by the SAPS in trying to respond to residential burglaries during changing weather patterns. Furthermore, it is recommended that SAPS management and the CPF executive management should encourage their members to attend all the meetings that are organized to address crime in the communities.
Conclusion
Are there any current strategies that you are aware of that the South African Police Service in the Newlands East Police Area against weather patterns in residential burglaries. What are you seeing, in terms of the level of communication between communities and local SAPS to address residential burglary during weather changes in the Newlands East Policing Area.
