|
Inside a criminal’s mind
Dr Rudolph Zinn, Unisa’s senior lecturer in Forensic Investigation and a former detective in the special investigation unit of the South African Police Service, believes that learning from the people who commit violent crimes is the key to finding ways of solving crime in South Africa. He shared this with Unisa staff and other guests at the ZK Matthews Hall on 2 September 2009 when he spoke on "Preventative measures for house robberies from a perpetrator’s perspective" based on research he has conducted by interviewing convicted and incarcerated offenders of house robberies in Gauteng prisons.
Dr Zinn said these interviews provided him with information on their modus operandi, target selection and how to prevent house robberies. He began his presentation by defining house robberies as the unlawful, intentional, and violent demand and appropriation of another’s movable property; and the control inside a residence while the victim is accosted and detained.
He said while statistics are not consistent, between 2002/2003 and 2006/2007, robbery with aggravating circumstances increased from 9 063 to 12 761 (29%), and in the last financial year by 13,5%. "There were 14 481 house robberies reported during the last financial year, which translates into 40 house robberies per day nationally, with Gauteng as the leading province by far with 20 per day, and KwaZulu-Natal as the second highest with 10 per day. The Northern Cape recorded the lowest at 12 for the last financial year."
Describing the methodology used for his research, Dr Zinn said he utilised crime intelligence from incarcerated offenders from cases within the FBI, Scotland Yard, The Netherlands and Germany. He interviewed 30 incarcerated offenders from the six largest correctional centres in Gauteng where 86% of incarcerated offenders in those prisons are sentenced for robbery with aggravating circumstances. The 30 respondents were each asked 116 questions.
Dr Zinn said that what is unique to South African crime is the violence associated with the crime. He believes that if a perpetrator is not caught for the first crime they commit, the type of crime they continue to involve themselves in escalates. He said findings indicated that the respondents target all race groups and that house robbery is a crime that does not know a specific colour --- the perpetrators target affluent people. The main motivation is financial gain, mainly in the form of jewellery or cash and not items that can be traced.
Dr Zinn described a perpetrator’s profile as very violent, saying research indicated that 97% are armed either with firearms or other weapons. Offenders also said they do not use alcohol or drugs before or during the crime, as their actions become unpredictable.
"I also found them to be aggressive, using bad language, and the sound of cocking the firearm as a form of intimidation. And as far as torturing victims, it’s mostly done on females and children because then the males cooperate." During a robbery, 83% of the respondents indicated that they would rather shoot than take any risk. "The violence used during these crimes is really horrific, and most fatalities occur during the initial phase of the robbery. However, it is also in your family’s best interest to cooperate, stay calm, and get the perpetrators out of your house as soon as possible. When they stay longer, they then proceed to commit crimes like rape." Dr Zinn said there were many theories for the violent behaviour, but what was consistent was the fact that as a perpetrator gets older, they become more violent. He said a thorough and proper system in which young people are incarcerated and reformed is required in South Africa. Another reason for the violent behaviour is that young criminals idolise the notorious gangsters in the areas in which they live.
Dr Zinn said the respondents indicated that most house robberies occur after hours between 19:00 and midnight. The robberies are likely to occur at times when residents are awake, the alarm is switched off and when there is noise in the house. He said 63% of the respondents committed house robberies within a radius of 10 to 30 minutes drive from where they live. This is because they know the area, are fully aware of the police’s routine, they know all entry and exit routes, and they have observed these neighbourhoods thoroughly. He said the perpetrators mainly receive inside information about the houses they are going to rob, and often retrieve this information under false pretence. And while they target affluent people, they choose neighbourhoods with low or inadequate security. However, if a house is really well secured, they also become curious as to why there is so much security at that house.
He said that in order to decrease the high number of violent house robberies, there needs to be a change of attitude and values in South Africa, as previous studies indicate that crime is caused by a shortage of integrity within a nation. "We need a paradigm shift. It is not only a police officer’s responsibility to prevent crime; the public also need to cooperate with police." However, Dr Zinn also indicated that the high crime rate was due to an ineffective policing model, which is more reactive than proactive.
He concluded by saying that short-term prevention is important and includes being vigilant, and getting involved in community policing forums and community initiatives. Long-term prevention is also needed as it looks at why people get involved in crime by using holistic approaches; it also encourages people to get involved in "outreach programmes" that will help to change people's attitudes and values. | 
