The annual SAPS crime statistics were released on Friday by Police Minister Bheki Cele and national police commissioner Gen Khehla Sitole.
The latest stats, from April 2019 to March this year, show an improvement in crimes such as murder, where 15 cases were reported in Brakpan compared to the previous year’s 21.
While this is a far cry from the 265 cases of murder reported in Delft in the Western Cape, which has the grim title of the country’s most murderous precinct, some of the other local stats are less encouraging.
Brakpan saw an increase in crimes such as robbery with aggravating circumstances, rape, hijackings and residential and business robberies.
Read: Women threatened with crowbars during Kenleaf house robbery
The full statistics are as follows:
Contact crimes (crimes against a person):
Murder decreased from 21 cases the previous year to 15.
Sexual offences increased from 57 to 66.
Attempted murder decreased from 16 to 11.
Assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm decreased from 85 to 70.
Common assault decreased from 317 to 283.
Common robbery decreased from 74 to 55.
Robbery with aggravating circumstances increased from 245 to 329.
Sexual offences:
Rape increased from 31 cases the previous year to 45.
Sexual assault decreased from 26 to 19.
Attempted sexual offences increased from no cases to one.
Contact sexual offences increased from no cases to one.
Some subcategories of aggravated robbery:
Carjacking increased from 50 cases the previous year to 70.
Robbery at residential premises increased from 34 to 37.
Robbery at non-residential premises increased from 56 to 85.
Robbery of cash-in-transit vehicle increased from no cases to one.
Bank robbery remained the same and no cases were reported.
Truck hijacking increased from three to eight.
Contact-related crimes:
Arson decreased from two cases the previous year to none.
Malicious damage to property decreased from 181 to 165.
Property-related crimes:
Burglary at non-residential premises decreased from 149 cases the previous year to 105.
Burglary at residential premises decreased from 523 to 399.
Theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles decreased from 215 to 175.
Theft out of or from motor vehicle decreased from 274 to 185.
Stock theft decreased from seven to four.
Other serious crimes:
All theft not mentioned elsewhere decreased from 775 cases the previous year to 715.
Commercial crime increased from 222 to 237.
Shoplifting increased from 201 to 211.
Crime detected as a result of police action:
Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition decreased from 33 cases the previous year to 24.
Drug-related crime increased from 338 to 376.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs increased from 147 to 194.
Sexual offences detected as a result of police action increased from one case to two.
Information obtained from saps.gov.za
Also read: Shot fired during robbery at butchery
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