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BAC facilitates public/private partnership

The contractual relationship between the SAPS, Tsohle-Unicode and the vehicle industry is seen to be a perfect example of a private/public partnership and is viewed by the private sector as a major boost for the cooperation between the industry and the SAPS.

This information is used primarily to combat vehicle crime in its various forms, following the addition of value adding vehicle information as well as other information obtained from the business sector. The provision of this SAPS information consequently empowers the business sector to fight vehicle crime and the supply of relevant private sector information to the SAPS enables them to gain value added information in return.

The first contract between Tsohle-Unicode and the South African Police Services ran to completion on 22 September 2005. After the industry indicated that Tsohle-Unicode is the preferred service provider, the SAPS National Commissioner signed the new contract valid for a period of five years on 26 September 2007.

There are many benefits to the sharing of this information. It is advantageous to not only the private sector but also to the SAPS. The private sector, individuals that intend buying a vehicle and the SAPS are benefiting from this partnership in the battle against motor theft-related crimes, including fraud.

The benefits include:

* The usage of this information by the insurance industry, which is one of the largest stakeholders affected by vehicle crime, where approximately 35% of short-term motor insurance losses are due to vehicle theft and hijackings.

* Police circulated and recovered vehicle data. This has proved to be extremely valuable to insurers to limit losses, by aiding the verification of claims, by detecting fraud, and by aiding the timeous return of recovered vehicles. This has directly benefited millions of vehicle owners in that the reduced losses, as a result of information sharing, has kept premium increases well below what would have been the case in a period which has witnessed the worst levels of vehicle theft and hijackings in the country's history.

* The Tsohle-Unicode system-to-system communication has generated direct savings to the subscribed insurance companies.

The system process is as follows:

* Automated upload of notification of insurer's title to the SAPS system, on behalf of the subscribed insurance companies.

* On-line confirmation of matched vehicle theft case details and an insurance claim, from the SAPS system into the subscribers' offices is generated and, where integrated with the Unicode system, into their Enterprise System.

* Monitoring of the SAPS system and, where recoveries or updates of stolen vehicles have occurred, notifications are provided to the insurer/title holder through either on-line reports, or through their Enterprise System.

* Online reports provide indicators of suspected fraud.

* Management Information Reports to assist managers to manage their respective portfolios are provided.

Benefits to the motor dealers, financial institutions and citizens of South Africa include:

* The co-operation between Unicode and TransUnion Auto (TU), the motor dealer, finance institutions, as well as.

* The buying public benefit from the checks on potential trade-in vehicles at the dealers.

* The banking sector relies on vehicle data verification, including SAPS sought status, to prevent financing fraud and to limit its risks in financing laundered stolen vehicles.

* The extension of the Tsohle - Unicode Vehicle Information Systems to other major players involved in the greater vehicle industry will continue to expand the benefits of this private/public sector partnership facilitated by the direct involvement of Business Against Crime South Africa as catalyst for this initiative.

Lorinda Nel iterated at the press conference held in February at the Business Against Crime South Africa offices in Morningside, that: "These kinds of services which bring together some of the best technologies in the industry and harness these to combat vehicle theft is a major achievement for all partners that have signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the bulk download of SAPS information relating to stolen and hijacked vehicles.

"BACSA is committed to these types of initiatives which seek to stablise the situation in the country in terms of unacceptably high levels of crime.

"It is only by joining hands that we will reduce high priority crimes such as vehicle theft and fraud. A hallmark of this initiative is that it maintains co-operation and integrates the needs of those involved in the partnership for the greater benefit of all."

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