Gareth Newham discusses the challenges of reforming the police service and building the rule of law in post-apartheid South Africa. As a policy and strategy adviser, he identifies shortcomings in the police force, formulates projects to fix them, and assists in implementing the solutions. Newham touches upon issues of promotion, discipline, information management, and anti-corruption measures in Gauteng. For example, he believes that the best way to combat corruption is to create a culture in which police officers condemn corruption within their own ranks. In collaboration with actual members of the police force, Newham developed an anti-corruption model based on prevention, detection, investigation, and restoration. By instructing police officers ahead of time of the consequences of engaging in corruptive behavior, the police force could take proactive measures towards fighting corruption. Newham drew upon the research of others in implementing police reforms, but he acknowledges that there is no single way to create an effective police force. Instead, reforms must be tailored to the specific society.
Gareth Newham studied organizational psychology and political studies at the University of Cape Town. He completed a post-graduate degree in political studies and wrote his honors dissertation on civil-military relations and how South Africa could ensure democratic control of the military. In 2002, he received a master’s degree from the Graduate School for Public and Development Management at Wits University. His master’s dissertation looked at how to promote police integrity at Hillbrow Police Station, a corrupt inner-city station. Newham previously worked for the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) where he led the Provincial Parliamentary Monitoring Project and conducted research on provincial legislatures. He later served as project manager for the Center for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) where he focused on police management issues and crime prevention. In March 2006, Newham became the policy and strategy adviser to the Gauteng MEC (Member of the Executive Cabinet) for Community Safety, a post he continued to hold at the time of this interview.
