President Jacob Zuma’s announcement that two specialised police units would be established has been welcomed by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police.

Committee chairperson Francois Beukman said that units for narcotics and illegal firearms would help make the SA Police Service (Saps) more professional and effective.

“There is no substitute for highly-trained and skilled personnel who specialises. There is an appropriate response needed for changing crime trends,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

Beukman said specialisation was needed to effectively deal with cross-border and international crime syndicates.

The committee felt the “best of the best” in SAPS, the Hawks and other agencies should be recruited for the units.

Beukman identified several factors that needed to be taken into account.

He said unit commanders should be experienced, well-trained and have expert police knowledge.

There should be necessary budget allocation within the ring-fenced Hawks budget, appropriate IT and technology, and state-of-the-art equipment and forensic facilities.

Unit members should undergo special vetting and integrity-testing on a constant basis.

Beukman also said there should be sufficient international inter-agency cooperation, as well as use of international best practice in training and investigation.

The committee would monitor whether these factors were part of the units' framework.

The police minister and the Hawks would be invited in the coming weeks to brief the committee on the preparations for setting up the units.

Source: News24