Parliament police committee calls for skills audit of police crime intelligence

CAPE TOWN - Parliament's police committee says police management is expected to explain the R25 million purchase of a Pretoria hotel by crime intelligence.

The committee's chairperson, Ian Cameron, has also called for a skills audit of the unit that oversees the police’s intelligence-gathering operations with a budget of nearly R5 billion.

On Tuesday, Parliament’s committee chairpersons in the security cluster addressed a briefing on issues affecting the police and the criminal justice system.

Cameron noted several issues affecting crime intelligence from information gathering to a lack of money and resources.

The unit also made the news recently for splurging R25 million on a hotel in a questionable move.

READ: DA, ActionSA want answers on SAPS crime intelligence's purchase of R23m Pretoria boutique hotel

Now Cameron wants an explanation from intelligence bosses, saying a skills audit should also start with crime intelligence.

“I must emphasise that last year, Parliament resolved that there should be a skills audit done in the senior management of South African Police Service, and I think crime intelligence is a really good place to start with that.”

The committees are expected to hold their first meetings of the year early in February.