APPENDIX 2

FIREARM-RELATED INFORMATION, CRIME INFORMATION ANALYSIS CENTRE, SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

The availability of firearms related data in the South African Police Service (SAPS) and comparative statistics

1. It is apparent that some uncertainty exists regarding the availability of firearm related data in the South African Police Service, as well as with regard to the interpretation of the statistics obtained from various sources. In this document an indication will be given of the available sources and to whom enquiries with regard to such statistics should be directed. Comparative statistics pertaining to a selection of firearm related crimes are also provided.

2 AVAILABLE SOURCES OF STATISTICS WITH THE SAPS

2.1 SAP 6

The SAP 6 is the official crime data base of the SAPS. It should be borne in mind that SAP 6 data reflects cases and neither the number of firearms, nor the number of suspects, involved. Provision is made on the SAP 6 for the following crime categories involving firearms:

Murder and attempted murder

Separate provision is made for categories pertaining to the type of weapon used to commit the act, eg handgun (pistol or revolver), commercial gun or shotgun, military gun (AK47, R1, LMG and similar guns) and unknown firearms. The code list furthermore makes provision for an indication of the age of the victim involved, eg younger than 12 years, 12 to 17 years, 18 to 49 years and 50 years or older. Provision is also made for the race group of both the suspect and the victim. No distinction is made between legal and illegal firearms involved.

Robbery and attempted robbery with a firearm

The code list only refers to a firearm and not to any specific type of firearm. It also gives an indication of the status of the target, eg vehicles, firearms, banks and building societies, post offices, businesses, persons at ATMs, persons at businesses, person at residential premises, clients and other (person on person). No provision is made for an indication whether legal or illegal firearms are involved.

Theft of firearm

No provision is made for any indication of the type of firearm stolen, whether it had been in legal or illegal possession or of the place or premises where the crime occurred. Only the number of theft of firearms cases reported to the SAPS is reflected.

Transgressions of the Firearms and Ammunition Act

The number of cases pertaining to the following transgressions can be provided:

Provision of firearms and ammunition

Provision of firearms to unauthorized persons.

Provision of machine guns or similar weapons to unauthorized persons.

Prohibition on the trade in firearms and ammunition without a license.

Prohibition on the unauthorized manufacturing of firearms and ammunition.

Possession of firearms

Illegal possession of firearms.

Illegal possession of machine guns and similar weapons.

Illegal possession of ammunition by or provision to unauthorized persons.

Other transgressions of the Act

Negligent loss of firearm.

Negligent handling of a firearm.

Firing of a firearm in a municipal area.

Other transgressions of the Act.



Other crimes against the life or body of a person

The number of cases pertaining to the following transgression can be provided:

Pointing of a firearm (all races)

2.2 SAP 13 Register

The SAP 13 Register is a property register (of all property, including firearms) kept at every police station. It should be noted that this is a hand system and that items are booked in as they are received. It is a time and manpower consuming task to procure statistics from the SAP 13 register, as the entire register/s has to be worked through. The SAP 13 register can provide the following information:

The Crime Administration System (CAS) number.



Reasons column (eg exhibit in murder case, illegal firearm, safekeeping, pending approval of firearm application, etc).



Description of firearm, ammunition and serial number. If no serial number is available, this is noted.



If the firearm is booked out, the reason is noted (eg to court, as exhibit).



Disposal Order Instructions.

2.3 Illegal Firearms Unit

Provincial Serious Violent Crime Units submit data pertaining to all seizures of firearms to the Illegal Firearms Unit. The seizures referred to include confiscation of both legal and illegal firearms, as well as of exhibits (eg firearms used in crimes). However, these seizures are not reported to the Illegal Firearms Unit according to the categories outlined above, but as a total figure of all seizures. Data pertaining to the total number of firearms/explosives seized are available per type/item involved, namely:

AK47 - Pistols

R1 - Revolvers

R4 - Ammunition

R5 - Handgrenades

Other rifles - Explosives

2.4 Forensic Science Laboratory (F.S.L.)

The F.S.L. has an Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS). The system is used to compare fired cartridges and bullets in order to determine whether they had been fired from the same weapon in outstanding cases. At the moment the F.S.L. does not receive all fired cartridges and bullets collected by the Police, but a directive has been issued to enforce this procedure. The following is available on the IBIS data base:

Number of exhibits.

Number of connections made.

2.5 Central Firearms Register

The Central Firearms register can provide on hand data pertaining to the number of unsuccessful firearm license applications. The following information can be obtained by means of an ad hoc service request:

The number of firearms reported stolen.

The number of firearms reported lost.

The number of firearms reported found.

The number of firearms registered.

The number of unlicensed firearms found.

3 INTERPRETATION OF FIREARM RELATED DATA

As stated above, numerous sources of firearm related data exist within the SAPS. It should be noted however, that the data cannot be interpreted at face value alone, as some important facts have to be taken into consideration first. The statistics obtained from the SAP 6 on the one hand, for example only refer to the number of cases reported and not to the number of firearms involved. The statistics kept by the Central Firearms Register, on the other hand, refer to the number of firearms reported as either lost, stolen, found or registered within a specific period. The situation may also arise that a considerable number of firearms being reported stolen or lost by a State Department after an audit had been conducted. Although the theft or loss may have occurred over a period of time, the data pertaining to the theft or loss will be recorded on the date of the report to the Central Firearms Register.

To avoid any uncertainties which may lead to misinterpretations of firearms related data, it is important for the release of such data to be centralised. It is therefore requested that any future enquiries pertaining to the number of firearms lost, stolen or found, as well as the number of firearm related crimes reported, be directed to the Crime Information Analysis Centre (CIAC) of the SAPS. Requests can be directed to the Head, CIAC, Crime Intelligence, at Private Bag X302, Pretoria or faxed to (012) 339 1871.

It has to be kept in mind that although numerous sources of firearm related data exist, in most cases the required information is not immediately available. It is therefore important to take processing time into consideration when requesting data.

4 COMPARATIVE STATISTICS: NUMBER OF REPORTED CASES: 1994 TO 1998

CRIME	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998
Murder with a firearm	11 134	11 056	11 394	11 215	12 267
Attempted murder with a firearms	23 682	22 035	22 387	20 937	22 001
Robbery with firearm*	-	-	51 005	54 250	69 501
Attempted robbery with firearms	-	-	2 014	4 237	4 703
Theft of firearm	7 285	7 456	9 085	12 141	11 391
Negligent loss of firearm*	-	-	4 729	4 964	6 231
Illegal possession of firearm/ammunition*	-	-	13 413	13 036	14 554
Negligent handling of firearm*	-	-	2 895	3 362	3 384
Firing of firearm in municipal area*	-	-	2 791	2 983	3 098
Pointing of firearm*	-	-	22 742	23 655	25 375
Other transgressions of the Firearms and Ammunition Act*	-	-	1 333	765	909

Provision has either been made for statistics pertaining to these categories of crime since the implementation of a new crime code list during July 1995, or the availability of comparable statistics is affected due to concomitant changes to the Crime Code List.

COMPILED BY THE CRIME INFORMATION ANALYSIS CENTRE, CRIME INTELLIGENCE, SA POLICE SERVICE.