EVERYONE’S AN INSPECTOR: The crisis of rank inflation and the decline of visible policing

South Africa currently has five and a half times more police inspectors than constables. This has resulted in a classic demonstration of the adage ‘too many chiefs and not enough Indians’ and has contributed to the collapse of field supervision in the South African Police Service. Recent moves to laterally transfer 7 000 senior military personnel will not help the situation, and present training plans, though ambitious, will not assist much. A radical rethink of the organisation is needed to optimise member strength on the streets