Instead of addressing the problems with sound solutions to solving and punishing crime the suffering public are subjected to a smokescreen of denials and flashing mirrors of distraction by the government and SAPS of blame transference to guns and citizens lack of co-operation.  Compounding and adding to the problems of mismanagement many thousands of officers are caught up in a newly created frivolous paperwork chase of recording and monitoring of firearms, which will never be used in crime.

In a manner reminiscent of people hanging garlic around their necks to ward off vampires and burning witches at the stake NGOs, SAPS and Government ignore the results of success because it involves the acceptance that firearms in the hands of law abiding citizens prevent crime.  Instead they falsely advise women that firearms are dangerous and more likely to be used against them.  Yet there is no study ever conducted in South Africa or the world that shows that such an outcome can be expected.  Antony Altbeker conducted a study of 1000 police dockets of failed self-defence cases and made some remarkable conclusions that he himself has admitted are not representative and cannot be used as a generalisation. 

What is true is that South Africa abounds with unscientific outcomes based research conducted by tainted NGOs and statistics for hire researchers with a known bias.  Providing a pervasive deluge of junk science dressed up as academic papers that are never peer reviewed or verified to government has become a national disgrace.  Basing policy on incorrect or selective information forms a large part of the problems of crime prevention by distracting from the root causes and focusing attention on minor or even non-contributory factors.  When the SAPS and government actively seek out such research and combine it with policy and legislation this is a recipe for disaster.

The SAPS do themselves a great disservice by pandering to the whims of politicians, embracing politically motivated policy and allowing management and control by political commissars.

It is one of the most troubling aspects of political management or more correctly mismanagement as government finds it less costly and troubling to tinker with the police than correct the social ills of the country to reduce crime.