page_title: South African Police Service
section_title: Organisation
hierarchical_section_title: South African Police Service / Organisation
caption_attribution_description: English: SAPS police officers, Stellenbosch Wine Festival Wine Expo 2014 on the Braak
context_page_description: The South African Police Service is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,138 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in each province. The nine Provincial Commissioners report directly to the National Commissioner. The head office is in the Wachthuis Building in Pretoria.
  The Constitution of South Africa lays down that the South African Police Service has a responsibility to prevent, combat and investigate crime, maintain public order, protect and secure the inhabitants of the Republic and their property, uphold and enforce the law, create a safe and secure environment for all people in South Africa, prevent anything that may threaten the safety or security of any community, investigate any crimes that threaten the safety or security of any community, ensure criminals are brought to justice and participate in efforts to address the causes of crime.
  Amnesty International and others have expressed serious concerns about South African police brutality, including torture and extrajudicial killings.
context_section_description: Three police unions were active in bargaining on behalf of police personnel and in protecting the interests of the work force, as of 1996. These are the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, which has about 150 000 members; the South African Policing Union (SAPU), which has about 35,000 members; and the Public Service Association (PSA), which has about 4,000 members.
caption: Patrol in Stellenbosch
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