The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), the police watchdog responsible for oversight, faces significant challenges due to an overwhelming workload and limited resources. According to its latest annual report, each of IPID’s 167 investigators is assigned approximately 300 cases annually, highlighting the strain on the system.
The report, covering the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, revealed that while investigators managed to finalize 4,667 cases during the financial year, a staggering backlog of over 15,000 cases remains unresolved.
This capacity limitation has also affected the directorate’s ability to respond promptly to reported incidents. Investigators were only able to attend 24% of crime scenes within the critical first 24 hours of a report being filed.
IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping acknowledged the challenges, saying, “We do have a very limited number of investigators. We have strategies in place to try and beef up our investigation capacity. For example, when a post in support services becomes vacant, some are repurposed and converted into investigation positions. However, we must follow due processes with the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA).”
Budget constraints further exacerbate the problem, limiting IPID’s capacity to oversee the more than 200,000 law enforcement officers across the country effectively. Suping emphasized the need for additional resources to tackle the backlog and enhance operational efficiency.
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