This is a list of agencies in law enforcement in South Africa, both past and present. It does not include the military police branches of the defence forces.
Magistrates' law enforcement officers (1686–1848) – Responsible forenforcement in the rural districts. Each district's magistrate had his own "officers of justice".
Police Office (1825–40) – Established in 1825 to co-ordinate the fiscal's law enforcement officers and the Night Watch in
Cape Town.[3] It was replaced by the Town Police in 1840.
Cape Peninsula Urban Police (1840–1913) – Established in 1840 as the Town Police,[4] and modelled on the London
Metropolitan Police.[5] – It replaced the Police Office. The force was renamed 'City Police' when it was placed under the control of the Cape Police in 1882. Together with the rural police of the neighbouring districts, it became the 'Cape Peninsula Urban Police District' in 1904. The force was taken over by the
South African Police in 1913.
Rural Police (1848–1913) – Replaced the magistrates' law enforcement officers. Each district had a chief constable and a small police force, under overall direction of the resident magistrate.[6]
Dock and Harbour Police (1860–1913) — Established in 1860 as the 'Water Police', to maintain law and order in
Table Bay harbour.[9] It was renamed 'Dock and Harbour Police' in 1882, and incorporated into
Cape Police District 3 in 1901.
Northern Border Police (1868–73 and 1879–84) — Responsible for law and order in the districts along the
Orange River, which formed the colony's northern border at that time.
Cape Government Railways Police — The
Cape Government Railways employed law enforcement officials.
Cape Mounted Police (1882-1913) — A para-military force established in 1882 as the 'Cape Police'.[10] It was renamed 'Cape Mounted Police' in 1904, and transferred to the
Union Defence Forces in 1913.
Detective Department (1882-1913) — Established to suppress diamond-smuggling on the
Griqualand West diamond fields.
Orange Free State Police (1908–13) — A para-military force established by the colonial government in 1908 as the 'Orange River Colony Police' to replace the imperial South African Constabulary. It was renamed when the colony reverted to its former name in 1910, and was transferred to the
Union Defence Forces in 1913.
Transvaal Town Police (1901–08) — Established by the British occupation authorities to maintain law and order in
Pretoria and
Johannesburg. It was superseded by the Transvaal Police in 1908.
Transvaal Police (1908–13) — A para-military force established by the colonial government in 1908, to replace the imperial South African Constabulary and the Transvaal Town Police. It was transferred to the
Union Defence Forces in 1913.