17. Security at court. The Committee appreciates that the Department's budget to secure courts and justice service points is stretched, despite the allocation of additional funds from 2012/13 over the medium term. Security at courts has become a high priority as a result of increased criminal incidents relating to the Department's property and personnel.. The Committee is supportive of the Department's bid for additional funds but is alarmed at exponential growth in the cost of securing courts: the Department has calculated that it needs R361.4 million; R399.3 million and R441.3 million for 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 respectively to address its security needs. Over the medium-to- long term, the Committee questions whether it is feasible to spend these amounts on security alone. The Committee is aware that the Department has engaged with other departments, including SAPS, to see if they can assist but with limited success.