In a bold and technologically advanced step towards public safety, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), affectionately referred to as the Hawks, has re-established its collaboration with the Cash-In-Transit Association of South Africa (CITASA). The announcement, made by DPCI on May 21, signals a landmark evolution in the country’s fight against violent and organised crime.
What started as a strategic partnership three years ago has now blossomed into a security partnership in earnest. The passing on of an innovative technological system from CITASA to the Hawks is a watershed, one founded on innovation, partnership, and an unwavering determination to safeguard South Africa’s citizens and resources from the scourge of cash-in-transit (CIT) heists.
This partnership has a larger story to tell – a story of how modern law enforcement is adopting collaboration and digitalisation to uproot criminal empires that have for centuries exploited systemic loopholes.
A crisis meets a convergence
Cash-in-transit heists are among South Africa’s most violent crimes. The image of armoured vehicles being ambushed on highways, daylight shootouts, and meticulously organised assaults on cash depots and centres has gripped national headlines for years. These heists are not only brutal, but they are also economically devastating, robbing millions of rands from the economy annually and putting the lives of security guards and civilians at risk.
CITASA was formed in November 2021 amid a growing need to unite industry players and bring coordinated structure to what had been a fragmented security industry. The organisation, since its inception, sought positive engagement with law enforcement agencies to curb a crisis that was spinning out of control.
That engagement has borne fruit.
The initial interventions of CITASA were providing data analytics to SAPS and the Hawks, through enhanced CCTV analysis and cellphone forensics. These have assisted in securing vital convictions in high-profile cases. However, the journey did not conclude there.
From tactical coordination to strategic integration
The latest technology transfer reflects an integration of private intelligence more deeply into public policing structures. The system – whose technical details remain confidential –
contains predictive analytics software that can pinpoint high-risk zones, map movement patterns of syndicates, and automate real-time alerts if suspicious CIT activity is detected.
Lieutenant General (Dr/Adv) Godfrey Lebeya, National Head of Hawks, also highlighted the strategic value of the partnership: “As criminals intensify their game, so too must we as the DPCI, our equipment, our methods, and our alliances,” he said.
“The embrace of high-technology is no longer an option – it is an imperative.”
This perspective forms part of a broader trend within South Africa’s crime-combatting infrastructure. Policing is no longer solely about visibility and arrest; it is about data, foresight, and multi-sectoral prowess. This partnership between the Hawks and CITASA is proof of that.
Results that speak
Cash-in-transit robberies have reduced by 18% year over year since 2022, according to statistics from the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC). The authorities credit it to improved coordination of intelligence and prompt post-incident response times, both being products of the Hawks-CITASA partnership.
CITASA Chairperson Thabo Mokoena recently stated in another briefing that the technological leap “gives our entire industry a fighting chance”.
He added: “For too long, we’ve been responding to crime. This system enables us to predict, prepare, and pre-empt. It’s a game-changer.”
Another milestone of the partnership has been the collaborative development of a nationwide database of CIT-related crimes, consolidating data from banks, security agencies, and police forces across the country. The consolidated data structure has enabled investigators to connect crimes between provinces, track movement patterns of suspects, and disrupt syndicate activities more efficiently.
Community, innovation, and a shared future
Aside from technology, the partnership between DPCI and CITASA is an example of what South Africa’s security architecture can be: collaborative, inclusive, and proactive. Partnership policing – a theoretical concept hidden in policy papers for so long – is now a living, breathing phenomenon, founded on trust and collaborative expertise.
The DPCI’s broader mandate is to probe organised crime, economic crimes, and corruption. Through the support of CITASA, the Hawks now have capacity not only to neutralise cash-in-transit robberies but to dismantle the networks behind them -networks that are often involved in drug trade, money laundering, and illegal arms trading.
Yet although technology and inter-agency intelligence sharing are the cornerstones of this success, representatives unanimously agree that community policing is still essential.
“There is no technology that can substitute trust of communities,” Brigadier Mpho Motloung, head of strategic operations in the DPCI, told media recently.
“We call on South Africans to be vigilant, to report suspicious activities, and to pride ourselves in safeguarding our common future.”
A National Imperative
The project has generated interest from police authorities in the region and already initial discussions are underway to replicate the Hawks-CITASA model in neighboring SADC nations. Should it succeed, South Africa can emerge as a continental pace-setter in public-private policing innovation.
In a nation fighting various fronts of crime – from state capture to gang violence – the word of this collaboration is unequivocal: the war against crime is not one the police can win. It necessitates the active involvement of business, civil society, and citizens. As Lieutenant General Lebeya so aptly phrased it, “Together, through vigilance, collaboration, and innovation, we can and will secure a safer South Africa”.
Ultimately, the beefed-up collaboration between the Hawks and CITASA is not just a press statement – it is a national security doctrine in the works. And in a world in which criminals continuously evolve, law enforcement must be flexible, smart, and willing to cooperate. South Africa’s fight against violent crime has hit a new frontier. With innovative technology, cross-sector collaboration, and a unified effort, the nation is taking back its authority – one data point, one conviction, one safe convoy at a time.
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