Abstract
The South African Police Service (SAPS) predominantly employs a reactive policing model, which focuses on responding to crime after it occurs rather than preventing it proactively. This approach has contributed to low conviction rates, significant case backlogs, and declining public trust. Despite global evidence supporting Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP) as an effective crime prevention strategy, its adaptation to South Africa’s socio-political and resource-constrained context remains underexplored. This study aims to examine ILP as a strategic alternative for SAPS by analyzing global best practices and assessing its feasibility within South Africa. Using a qualitative research design anchored in systematic literature review and documentary analysis, data were drawn from academic publications, policy documents, and international case studies. Findings indicate that ILP significantly reduces crime in jurisdictions where it is supported by robust data governance, predictive analytics, inter-agency collaboration, and community engagement. In contrast, SAPS’s current ILP-related initiatives, such as the Crime Information Management and Analysis Centre (CIMAC), remain partial and ineffective due to systemic weaknesses in data integrity, the absence of real-time reporting, and limited analytical capacity. The study concludes that transitioning to ILP is a strategic imperative for SAPS and recommends phased, cost-effective reforms encompassing organizational restructuring, technological modernization, and policy changes. Future research should focus on empirical evaluation of ILP interventions, cost-benefit analysis, and ethical considerations in predictive policing.