A funny thing happened on the way to an integrated justice system

Abstract

This article describes how resistance mounted by members of the Detective Service of the SAPS to the integration of the management of station-level investigators under the authority of the Station Commander ultimately led to the reconfiguration of that policy. It seeks to explain the resistance of detectives by virtue of the fact that they have developed a unique and relatively autonomous professional identity, and that organisational reform was, for that reason, experienced as threatening. It is suggested that resistance to reform and transformation mounted for these kinds of reasons might be a more serious challenge to change than is usually acknowledged.

Keywords:

• Detective
• criminal justice system
• organisational culture