Fear of crime and the role of the police

Fear of crime seems to be the forgotten aspect of social life. People are often not aware that they experience fear of crime. South Africa is currently rated the country with the highest crime rate, with murder topping the list. Apart from lost lives, crime (especially farm murders), appears to be a continuing issue in political circles. Releasing certain categories of prisoners from correctional institutions and the intention to reduce the strenght of the police by more or less 9000 members, do not prove to alleviate the crime and the fear of crime problem in the country. Coupled with these factors, are the unfortunate unemployment rate of almost 30 percent. The tireless effortsby the mass media will continue to fulfill a watchdog function in an effort to inform law-abiding citizens of essential personal protective measures, especially against the background of the reactive inclination of the South Africam Police Service.