Abstract

When a police badge becomes a lifeline rather than a calling, the very essence of law enforcement is at risk. Amid one of the world’s highest youth unemployment rates, the SAPS is seeing an influx of graduates from unrelated disciplines seeking refuge from joblessness. This desk-based study explores how the SAPS’s recruitment model, particularly through its new e-recruitment platform, has inadvertently positioned the institution as a shelter for structurally unemployed youth, rather than a specialised law enforcement agency. Despite global moves towards professionalised, qualification-based policing, the SAPS continues to admit candidates with no relevant academic background. Drawing on Human Capital, Person–Job Fit, Professionalisation, and Job Queueing theories, the study finds critical qualification mismatches, operational inefficiencies, and threats to institutional integrity. The researcher recommends prioritising policing-related graduates (80%) and limiting unrelated recruits to support roles (20%). The findings have implications for workforce professionalisation, recruitment policy, and institutional credibility. The study contributes a theoretical lens and policy direction for reforming police recruitment in transitional democracies.