Crime stats paint a grim picture of Boksburg

The 2022/23 financial year quarterly crime statistics point to a sharp increase in some of the most dreaded types of crime within the four Boksburg policing precincts.
These are Boksburg SAPS, Boksburg North SAPS, Reiger Park SAPS and Dawn Park SAPS.

Police Minister Bheki Cele presented the crime stats, reflecting on crimes reported from April 1 to the end of June, on August 19.

There was an overall increase of 46.6% in reported theft of motor vehicle and motorcycle cases across Boksburg.
Of the total 173 reported stolen cars during the three months, 103 were stolen in the Boksburg North policing precinct alone, 51 in Boksburg policing precinct, 18 in Dawn Park and one was stolen in the Reiger Park policing area.

Of the 39 638 cases of burglary at residential premises reported nationwide, Boksburg contributed at least 241 cases. This is an increase of 24.2% compared to the cases reported across the area during the same period last year.
Meanwhile, car hijacking rose by 10.4% and truck hijacking went up by 15.3% across Boksburg.

According to the stats, overall, 37 people have been killed in the first quarter of the 2022/23 financial year across Boksburg. This means there was a 5.1% decrease compared to 2021, which had reported 39 cases. Of this total of murder cases, 14 were reported in the Dawn Park precinct.
The update also indicates that a total of 35 people were raped during the period across Boksburg, which means there was also a decrease compared to the 52 cases reported last year during the same period.

Crimes detected through police activity
The overall number of crimes detected through police activity in Boksburg increased from 222 to 290 cases.
Nearly all the police stations secured increased numbers in this category this year, except for Boksburg North precinct, where this category recorded a 28.2% decrease in cases detected by police activities, dropping from the 110 cases detected last year down to 79 cases.

It is, however, difficult to describe the rate of crime detected as a result of police action as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, because decreased numbers may suggest that there were fewer instances of crime, which is a positive trend, or poor policing initiatives, a negative trend.

Crimes detected as a result of police action cover crimes that are discovered by proactive police actions, such as police visibility, roadblocks, patrols and raids.
This category covers drug-related crimes, possession of illegal weapons or substances and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Individual station stats analysis
Boksburg SAPS: The precinct’s crime rates remained high and worrisome in the following categories during the three months:
Burglary at residential premises rose by 87.5%, car hijacking rate increased by 50%, and theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles is up by 27.5%.
Attempted murder is up by 100%, assault GBH rose by 51.7%, malicious property damage is up by 6.8%, theft general is up by 13.1%, and commercial crime rose by 17.1%.
During the three months, the murder rate, decreased by 36.4%. Although the numbers remain high, robbery with aggravating circumstances was also down by 9.4%, common robbery was down 29.2% and rape was down 40%.

Boksburg North SAPS: In this area, the update shows that within the space of three months 103 cases of car hijacking were reported, 103 vehicles were broken into, 10 trucks were hijacked and more people were killed compared to the previous same period.
Attempted murder rose by 100% while theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles rose by 63,5%, murder was up 33.3%, car hijacking up 59.1%, sexual offences rose by 21,4%, robbery with aggravating circumstances up 7,9%, robbery at residential premises up 16.7%, truck hijacking rose by 42,9%, malicious damage to property up by 37,5%, burglary at residential premises up by 10.7%, commercial crime up 23,3%, and shoplifting shot up by 58,3%.

Reiger Park SAPS: In this precinct, murder and attempted murder along with robbery with aggravating circumstances remain the biggest growing concerns. Twelve people have been killed, while there has been an increase of 280% in attempted murder and 34 reported robberies with aggravating circumstances reported during the three months.
Robbery at non-residential premises rose by 100% while assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm rose by 13%, common assault is up 28.1%, car hijacking up 20%, malicious damage to property by 41.0%, burglary at residential premises by 4.3% and theft general up by 26.5%.

Dawn Park SAPS: The rates of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, burglary at residential premises and theft, in general, remain high in this precinct. The station recorded more murders than any other station in Boksburg between April and the end of June.
Cases of robbery with aggravating circumstances rose from 77 to 91 cases, while burglary at residential premises rose from 83 to 95, robbery at residential premises up from 5 to 19 and a total of 14 people were killed the same number as the previous same period.

The theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles rose from 13 to18 and theft general is up from 98 to 92.
Although the following cases saw big drops, the numbers remain worrisome: sexual offences decreased from 33 down to 17, attempted murder down from 16 to 11, assault GBH went down from 56 to 53, rape decreased from 28 to 13, car hijacking from 30 down to 18 cases and robbery at non-residential premises moved down from 15 to 6.

Boksburg stations in top 30s
The first quarter of crime statistics for the year has seen three of the Boksburg police precincts, Boksburg SAPS, Boksburg North SAPS and Dawn Park SAPS, featured in various crime categories of the top 30 stations with the highest numbers of crime in the country.

Boksburg SAPS: This station ranked number 25 in the sexual assault category, with a 33.3% increase compared to the cases reported in the same period in 2021.
The category ‘Truck hijacking top 30 stations’ saw Boksburg SAPS claiming the 27th spot.

Boksburg North: The station was named in the top 30 police stations with a high kidnapping rate and it ranked number 20, with 28 cases compared to the three cases reported in the same period in 2021 and 2019. The Vosloorus SAPS claimed the first spot on this list.
Boksburg North is sitting at number seven in the list of top 30 stations with a high truck hijacking rate. The precinct also ranked number seven in the theft of motor vehicles and motor cycles in the country, and the commercial crime list saw the station in the 19th spot. It ranked number 17 in shoplifting.

Dawn Park SAPS: This precinct was featured in the top 30 police stations with a high number of sexual offences detected as a result of police action. It ranked number 24 with its 16 cases, beating its Boksburg counterparts.

Nationally
Nationally, 6 424 murder cases were recorded, 11.5% up when compared to the 5 760 people killed during the same period last year.
Of these 1 490 happened in Gauteng, which is an increase of 24,5% compared to the cases reported in the province during the same period last year.
A total of 11 855 sexual offences were recorded and although the numbers are still high, this is a decrease of 6.7% compared to the 12 702 cases reported in the same period last year.
A total of 5 866 car hijacking cases were reported countrywide and this is 720 more cases, compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, a total of 9335 motor vehicles and motorcycles were stolen, 1% lower than the 9 433 stolen in the same period in 2021.

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