Crime stats: truck hijackings continue to plague Brakpan

According to the latest crime statistics released last Friday, truck hijackings in the Brakpan area remain a cause for concern.

The figures cover the third quarter of the 2021/22 financial year, which is from October to December. Brakpan Police Station occupied position six on the list of top 30 stations nationally for truck hijackings.

It was listed at position 20 in this category in the second quarter statistics. The local SAPS does not, however, feature on any of the other national lists.

The full stats for Brakpan are as follows and are compared to the same period for the previous year:

Contact crimes (crimes against a person)
• Murder decreased from six cases the previous year to four

• Sexual offences increased from 19 to 28

• Attempted murder increased from one to seven

• Assault GBH decreased from 24 to 23

• Common assault decreased from 76 to 68

• Common robbery decreased from 25 to 17

• Robbery with aggravating circumstances increased from 69 to 91
Total contact crimes increased from 220 to 238

Sexual offences
• Rape increased from nine cases the previous year to 18

• Sexual assault remained the same at eight cases

• Attempted sexual offences remained the same and no cases were reported

• Contact sexual offences remained the same at two cases
Total sexual offences increased from 19 to 28

Some subcategories of aggravated robbery
• Carjacking increased from 19 cases the previous year to 23

• Robbery at residential premises increased from five to 13

• Robbery at non-residential premises remained the same at 15 cases

• Bank robbery remained the same and no cases were reported

• Robbery of cash-in-transit vehicles remained the same and no cases were reported

• Truck hijacking increased from four to nine

Contact-related crimes
• Arson remained the same and no cases were reported

• Malicious damage to property decreased from 43 to 42
Total contact-related crimes decreased from 43 to 42

Property-related crimes
• Burglary at non-residential premises decreased from 49 cases the previous year to 28

• Burglary at residential premises decreased from 77 to 64

• Theft of motor vehicle and motorcycle decreased from 43 to 42

• Theft out of or from motor vehicle decreased from 57 to 36

• Stock theft increased from one to two
Total property-related crimes decreased from 227 to 172

Other serious crimes
• All theft not mentioned elsewhere increased from 162 cases the previous year to 194

• Commercial crime increased from 78 to 86

• Shoplifting decreased from 51 to 50
Total other serious crimes increased from 291 to 330
Total 17 community reported serious crimes increased from 781 to 782

Crime detected as a result of police action
• Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition increased from nine cases the previous year to 11

• Drug-related crime decreased from 115 to 110

• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs decreased from 45 to 19

• Sexual offences detected as a result of police action remained the same and none were detected
Total crime detected as a result of police action decreased from 169 to 140.

Information obtained from saps.gov.za