SAP, noun2

/es eɪ ˈpiː/
Forms:
Also occasionally Sap /sæp/.
Origin:
Initial letters of South African Police.
historical
The police force; a member or members of this force. Also attributive.
Note:
Renamed the South African Police Service (see SAPS) on 28 April 1994.
[1912 Act 14 in Stat. of Union 292There shall be established..a police force entitled the South African Police.]
1913 Report of Commissioner of Police..1911 (UG62–1912)I hope that, under the S.A.P. Regulations, the practice of awarding marksman’s badges will be continued.
1917 The Jrnl 26 Apr.The bayoneted platoon of the Port Elizabeth SAP marched in columns of four from the Court House.
1966 K.M.C. Motsisi in Golden City Post 30 Jan. (Drum) 16The Khakied ones with helmets and batons or bayonets are called Saps (South African Police).
1972 Drum 22 June 8Ahead of a cloud of dust, came a convoy of SAP vehicles carrying a hundred policemen with dogs.
1979 Citizen 9 Apr. 2In pitched battles, the SAP unit met up with the terrorists repeatedly in the most difficult terrain.
c1980 S. Afr. 1979: Off. Yrbk (Info. Service of S. Afr.) 316The SAP is a national force and therefore the first line of defence in the event of internal unrest.
1983 W. Steenkamp in Leadership Sept. 66It is a safe bet that the SADF and the SAP combined would be able to maintain essential internal security, if not absolute peace, if the need arose.
1986 L.M. Theunissen in Hansard 28 Apr. 4502South Africa is deeply indebted to the SAP and cannot express enough thanks for the excellent services rendered by the Force to maintain law and order and internal security.
1988 H. Goosen in S. Afr. Panorama Nov. 2The SAP was established on 1 April, 1913, when the four provincial police forces joined to form a more efficient national force.
1991 J. Pauw In Heart of Whore 106It is important to remember that the SAP has for decades been misused as a political instrument by the National Party governments to maintain and uphold the apartheid system.
1992 C. Whitfield in Natal Mercury 23 Nov. 3The Goldstone Commission will investigate all security forces allegedly involved in violence in South Africa...These would include the SAP, the SADF, Umkhonto we Sizwe, Apla, the Kwazulu Police and certain security firms.
1994 H. Nkhoma in Sidelines Dec. 15Here with the whole SAP surrounding him, he had escaped again.
The police force; a member or members of this force. Also attributive.
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SAP, nounn.1Sapa, nounn.
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