Serious crimes down over festive season – police minister

During a media briefing on Thursday, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko said 705 639 nationwide operations had resulted in the arrest of 83 479 people between October and December.

The majority of the arrests were in the Western Cape, followed by KwaZulu-Natal, at which the crimes perpetrated were more violent in nature.

Nhleko said contact crimes had decreased by 5.3% but, “generally speaking, I think there are lessons that we will have to take on going forward”.

READ MORE: Murders, serious crimes down during festive season – Phahlane

And while there was a decline, Gauteng remained the hub of serious contact crimes, with more than 47 000 reported over the period, compared to 49 606 in the same period in 2015.

Gauteng also registered the most number of property related thefts and robberies.

In these cases, the incidence number had increased by almost 2%, with 38 462 property robberies recorded.

But police had played their part in protecting citizens. The force successfully stopped more than 8% of attempted crimes.

“We have noted a very encouraging decrease in crime trends over this past festive season,” acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane said.

“This is a glaring indication that we had successfully identified threats and implemented actions to counteract and overcome those threats.”

More stats:

• At least 83 479 people were arrested in South Africa.
• The arrests were effected during 705 639 policing operations.
• 1 060 firearms and 8 691 rounds of ammunition were seized.
• 2 443 886 searches were conducted.
• 669 vehicles were seized.
• A large quantity and variety of drugs were seized. For example,
  in the Western Cape on November 18, a drug dealer was
  arrested with 31 000 mandrax tablets.

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