National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole has told eNCA it is part of efforts to tackle the growing crime problem in South Africa.

This means murders will no longer be handled by overburdened detectives at station level.

Such cases will instead be referred to investigators whose sole responsibility it is to solve murders.”

Former commissioner Jackie Selebi closed specialised units in 2001 - a move blamed for escalating, serious crimes such as murder.

“We have one of the world’s highest murder rates, yet we leave murder dockets up to two or three detectives at a station, responsible for all unnatural death investigations - a car accident, a suicide, someone falling off the roof, and of course your murder cases. That would be a lone detective going out to the crime scene yet, he or she would have 20 to 30 other dockets sitting on their table. They’re overwhelmed with cases and under-resourced”, former police forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne said.

Crime analysts have been saying for years, that it’s the shot in the arm the police service desperately needs.

eNCA