The number of officers in the South African Police Service (SAPS) has continuously fallen over the last decade and is likely to plateau in the future.
The SAPS highlighted in its annual performance plan, which was submitted to parliament this week, that the department had a peak overall workforce complement of 199,345 in 2011/12. In comparison, its most recent workforce was 182,126 at the conclusion of the 2020/2021 fiscal year, representing an 8.8% decline.
“The Police Act workforce has also aged dramatically throughout this period, with a loss of more than 30,000 within the age bracket 39 years and younger, i.e. from almost 90,000 in 2011/12 to just over 59,000 Police Act personnel currently remaining in that age group,” the SAPS stated.
This means that the average age of cops on the ground is significantly greater than it was ten years ago. The SAPS currently anticipates that its workforce will stabilize at 178,708 in the fiscal year 2022/23.
“This figure will be maintained in the medium term because the SAPS has been allocated R8.7 billion in additional funding to accommodate the appointment of 12,000 entry-level members, 10,000 of whom will replace personnel losses due to natural attrition and 2,000 will result in establishment increases.”
“As a result, the number of people is predicted to rise by 2,000, from 176,708 in 2021/22 to 178,708 in 2022/23, a trend that is likely to continue in the medium term.”
