Introduction

Police-community relations have been thrust into the spotlight by the "Waddington Inquiry" into the investigation of the Boipatong massacre.¹ Dr Waddington's report is however, confirmation of the view of a number of writers on policing that the problems experienced in the field of police-community relations in South Africa are primarily the result of the legacy of apartheid.²

The weakness of police-community relations in many parts of the country are today perhaps the greatest obstacle to effective policing. An improvement in the relationships between the police and the communities they are tasked with serving, is a vital step towards the achievement of greater levels of affordable personal safety.