Data integrity in digital policing: Evaluating the quality of cybercrime statistics

Ogochukwu Favour Nzeakor & Godfrey Thenga

Volume 6 Issue 2, June 2026

Abstract

Cybercrime has become one of the most harmful forms of crime in the world. By 2025, losses from cybercrime were projected to exceed $10.5 trillion annually, making it one of the largest economies in the world. Despite this alarming global menace, the South African Police Service (SAPS) continues to rely on outdated classification systems and fragmented approaches to digital evidence management, thereby obscuring the true extent of cyber-enabled crimes. This study assesses the integrity of SAPS cybercrime statistics from 2013 to 2022 using an interpretivist qualitative research design, with a particular focus on auditing key issues, including misclassification, institutional discretion, and sociotechnical system failures. The findings revealed three major issues. First, SAPS cybercrime data are largely incomplete due to widespread underreporting and the absence of a centralized reporting system. Second, common cybercrimes, such as phishing, ransomware, identity theft, and business email compromise (BEC), are systematically misclassified under broad categories such as fraud or commercial crime. Third, outdated digital infrastructure, inconsistent practices across police stations, limited technical capacity, and the slow implementation of the Cybercrimes Act significantly undermine data quality. The study recommends adopting the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS) standards, among other reforms. Although the use of secondary data limits insights into internal SAPS practices, the findings underscore the urgent need for coordinated sociotechnical reforms to enhance the effectiveness of digital-age policing in South Africa.

Keywords

Author information & Contribution

Ogochukwu Favour Nzeakor. Corresponding Author. PhD in Criminology. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Police Practice, College of Law, Florida, Gauteng, University of South Africa. Email: enzeakof@unisa.ac.za

Godfrey Thenga. PhD in Criminal Justice. Associate Prof., Department of Police Practice, College of Law, Florida, Gauteng, University of South Africa. Email: tshabg@unisa.ac.za

"All authors equally contributed to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering and analysis, and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.”

Disclosure statement

Funding

Institutional Review Board Statement

Data and Materials Availability

AI Declaration

The research utilised a range of AI-assisted tools to enhance its rigour, clarity, and efficiency. Microsoft Copilot and Grammarly were used to support literature searching, refine academic writing, and improve the overall readability and tone of the manuscript. Human-authored text was also refined using AI tools, specifically wording, structure, and formatting. The author retained full responsibility for reviewing, verifying, and editing all AI-assisted content to ensure its accuracy, appropriateness, and compliance with academic standards.

Notes

Acknowledgement

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Cite this article:

Nzeakor, O.F. & Thenga, G. (2026). Data integrity in digital policing: Evaluating the quality of cybercrime statistics. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 6(2), 324-351. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353369