Stats reveal crime is escalating in Brakpan
Murder, rape and robbery are among the crimes to have increased in the town.
The Minister of Police General Bheki Cele on Friday presented the quarterly crime statistics, reflecting crimes reported to SAPS during the first quarter of the 2022/2023 financial year.
This period covers crimes reported from April 1 to the end of June.
A cash-in-transit heist in Minnebron on June 25 resulted in the Brakpan Police Station occupying the eighth position on the list of top 30 stations in the country for this category of crime.
While the local SAPS does not feature on any of the other national lists, the stats paint a grim picture as it shows crime is on the rise in the city.
The full stats for Brakpan are as follows, compared to the same period for the previous year:
Contact crimes (crimes against a person)
• Murder increased from three cases the previous year to eight.
• Sexual offences increased from 13 to 15.
• Attempted murder decreased from 13 to three.
• Assault GBH increased from 16 to 21.
• Common assault decreased from 68 to 64.
• Common robbery increased from 15 to 17.
• Robbery with aggravating circumstances increased from 64 to 95.
Total contact crimes increased from 192 to 223.
Sexual offences
• Rape increased from eight cases the previous year to 13.
• Sexual assault decreased from five to two.
• Attempted sexual offences remained the same and no cases were reported.
• Contact sexual offences remained the same and no cases were reported.
Total sexual offences increased from 13 to 15.
Some subcategories of aggravated robbery
• Carjacking increased from 10 cases the previous year to 21.
• Robbery at residential premises increased from six to 13.
• Robbery at non-residential premises increased from 19 to 21.
• Bank robbery remained the same as no cases were reported.
• Robbery of the cash-in-transit vehicle remained the same in one case.
• Truck hijacking remained the same in two cases.
Contact-related crimes
• Arson remained the same and no cases were reported.
• Malicious damage to property decreased from 60 to 46.
Total contact-related crimes decreased from 60 to 46.
Property-related crimes
• Burglary at non-residential premises increased from 20 cases the previous year to 39.
• Burglary at residential premises increased from 64 to 79.
• Theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles increased from 40 to 51.
• Theft out of or from motor vehicles increased from 39 to 42.
• Stock theft increased from two to three.
Total property-related crimes increased from 165 to 214.
Other serious crimes
• All theft not mentioned elsewhere decreased from 231 cases the previous year to 222.
• Commercial crime decreased from 75 to 67.
• Shoplifting decreased from 49 to 30.
Total other serious crimes decreased from 355 to 319.
A total of 17 community-reported serious crimes increased from 772 to 802.
Crime detected as a result of police action
• Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition increased from six cases the previous year to 13.
• Drug-related crime increased from 96 to 112.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs increased from 16 to 32.
• Sexual offences detected as a result of police action decreased from one case to none.
Total crime detected as a result of police action increased from 119 to 157.
Information obtained from saps.gov.za
