Police minister Senzo Mchunu released the first quarter crime statistics for 2024/25 on Friday, August 30.
The statistics reveal crimes reported by South Africa at its 1 163 police stations from April to June 2024, compared to the same period since 2019.
The comparison reveals that while some areas like Pretoria Central are experiencing minor improvements, hotspots like Brooklyn and Sunnyside are seeing worsening trends, which may require more focused law enforcement interventions.
Local stations Temba, Mamelodi East, Brooklyn, Pretoria Central and Sunnyside made the top 30 police stations plagued by serious crime nationally.
The statistics also revealed some crime trends in the Tshwane district.
A comparison of the latest statistics with the previous quarter has highlighted shifts in criminal activity across various categories, shedding light on the district’s ongoing challenges and successes in crime prevention.
Mchunu said contact crimes, which include serious offences such as murder, assault, and robbery, have seen mixed results in Tshwane.
Brooklyn saw property-related crimes rise by 11.8% to 559 cases.
This increase positions Brooklyn as one of the most affected areas in the district, reflecting the persistent challenges in preventing property crimes in wealthier, more commercialised neighbourhoods.
The category of other serious crimes, encompassing offences such as fraud, drug-related crimes, and shoplifting, also shows diverging trends in the Tshwane district.
Lyttelton recorded a 6.3% decrease in these crimes, with 650 cases reported.
“Brooklyn, one of the district’s major stations, experienced a significant increase in contact crimes, up by 16.8%, totalling 738 cases in the first quarter.
This rise suggests that despite efforts to curb violence, Brooklyn continues to face high levels of interpersonal crime.”
Sunnyside, another critical area within the district, reported an even steeper increase of 21.1% with 529 incidents.
In contrast, Pretoria Central recorded a slight decline of 3.8%, with 580 contact crimes reported.
Mchunu said although the reduction is modest, it indicates some progress in the fight against violent crime in the central precinct.
The trend in property-related crimes, which include burglary, theft, and vehicle-related crimes, presents a more encouraging picture for Tshwane, though with notable exceptions.
Mchunu said Lyttelton station saw a significant 9.3% decrease in property-related crimes, with 382 cases reported.
This decline suggests that crime prevention strategies in Lyttelton may be effectively deterring criminal activity.
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