With the release of the national crime statistics on Tuesday, the GCN takes a look at the stats released for the Elsburg, Germiston and Primrose policing areas.

In the Elsburg policing area, the stats reveal a decrease in the majority of crimes over the last financial year (April 2014 to March 2015).

Murder is down by 31.3 per cent; sexual offences by 18 per cent; attempted murder by 9.1 per cent; assault GBH by 11.1 per cent; common assault is down by 17.8 per cent and common robbery by 12.8 per cent.

There has, however, been a slight increase of 0.8 per cent in robbery with aggravating circumstances and carjacking has increased by 61 cases, as well as truck hijacking by 14.3 per cent.

This means five less people have been murdered in the area in comparison to the previous financial year (16 cases in the April 2013 to March 2014 year to 11 cases this year).

Sexual offences has seen a drop from 50 reported cases to 41 cases; attempted murder from 22 to 20 cases; assault GBH from 162 to 144 cases; common assault from 152 to 125 and common robbery from 39 to 34.

Drug-related crime has shown a significant decrease in the area (53.6 per cent) but the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition has shown a sharp 75 per cent increase.

In the Germiston policing district, the statistics reveal a different story with murder having increased by 133.3 per cent.

This means that 24 more murders have taken place in the Germiston policing district this financial year as opposed to the previous one (18 in the April 2013 to March 2014 financial year to 42 in this financial year).

Sexual offences have also shown an increase of 16.5 per cent (from 85 reported cases in the previous year to 99 this year).

Attempted murder increased by 48.4 per cent (46 reported cases as opposed to 31); common assault showed a 24.4 per cent increase, rising from 451 cases to 561); common robbery increased by 13.4 per cent (220 cases reported this year as opposed to 194 in the previous year) and robbery with aggravating circumstances also increased from 411 cases to 537 cases (a 30.7 per cent increase).

On the plus side, drug-related crime showed a decrease of 34 per cent (from 450 cases previously to 297 cases this year).

The illegal possession of firearms and ammunition (48.1 per cent); carjacking (64 cases higher); truck hijacking (58.3 per cent); robbery at residential premises (21.1 per cent) and robbery at non-residential premises (68.9 per cent) all showed increases.

In the Primrose policing district the stats reveal a mixture of good and bad.

Murder showed a 44.8 per cent increase this financial year.

Thirteen more Primrose residents have been murdered as opposed to the previous year’s statistics (29 cases in April 2013 to March 2014 to 42 cases, this financial year).

Other increases were recorded in common assault (2.7 per cent); common robbery (39.5 per cent) and robbery with aggravating circumstances (17.2 per cent).

Carjacking (69 cases higher); robbery at residential premises (36.7 per cent) and robbery at non-residential premises (22.6 per cent) have also shown an increase in the area.

On a positive note, drug-related crime is down by 51.4 per cent, as well as the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition (down by 12 per cent); attempted murder (down by 16.7 per cent) and sexual offences is down by 20.8 per cent.

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