ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Ettienne Hennop and Jakkie Potgieter undertook the fieldwork and analysis of the contents of the closed police case dockets, as well as transcribing the information onto the docket questionnaire. The insight they brought to the analytic interpretation of the statistics was invaluable. In the section on the types of firearms used in crime, this report relies heavily on their practical experience and knowledge of firearms. Ettienne’s experience as a detective in the SAPS also deepened the understanding of the circumstances surrounding the motive for, and role of firearms in incidents. Director James Oosthuizen, a senior SAPS official, accompanied the fieldworkers to Durban and Cape Town to oversee and verify the research process. Clare Jefferson managed the process of survey validation and data entry into the ISS database, as well as the statistical analyses reflected in this monograph.