Pretoria - Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has asked management to come up with a report and action plan on how psychological services can be improved in the South African Police Service (SAPS).
"[We must] ensure that we fight this [crime] scourge smarter and tougher. We need to have police officers who are not only physically fit, but psychologically and mentally stable," said Mthethwa.
The plan, which must be submitted by before the end of this financial year, will look at addressing the levels of personnel and identify the obstacles towards acquiring enough psychologists.
The minister wants the report to have clear targets, time frames and a retention strategy.
Mthethwa said the recommendations will then be speedily implemented.
"Psychologists are part of an essential service in ensuring that our police members optimally succeed in carrying out their duties. We need to ensure that while we address their upward mobility, financial and physical needs, we do not isolate the psychological aspects," said Mthethwa.
The minister was responding to a parliamentary question with reference to the actual number of police psychologists employed by the SAPS in each province in the past five years.
Recent analysis conducted in the department indicates that Gauteng has the highest number of psychologists, at 161, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 136, the third being the Western Cape at 106.
This scenario is not entirely surprising, as previous research showed almost 70 percent of crime in South Africa takes place in these three provinces.
The North West province has the least number of psychologists, at 61.
