This came to light on Friday when the South African Police Services released its crime statistics for reported crimes from April 2013 to March 2014 on each police station in the country.
The theft recorded the highest in Springs is under the category theft not mentioned elsewhere, which shot up to 1 323 cases reported during 2013/2014, compared to 1 277 reported in 2012/2013.
Burglary at residential houses also increased in Springs from 836 reported cases in 2012/2013 to 955 for the period in 2013/2014.
Another high statistic is robbery with aggravating circumstances, which stayed the same, 486 cases that were reported in both 2012/2013 and 2013/2014.
Statistics on other theft-related cases, compared between the periods April 2012 to March 2013 and April 2013 to March 2014 are:
- Burglary at non-residential premises decreased from 376 to 328.
- Theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles increased from 426 to 479 cases.
- Theft out of a motor vehicle decreased from 424 reported cases to 327.
- Stock theft increased from six cases to 13.
- Commercial crime decreased from 555 to 415.
- Shoplifting decreased from 280 to 273.
- Carjacking increased from 104 to 110.
- There were 12 truck hijackings during 2013/2014, compared to eight during the previous year.
- Common robbery was up to 161 in 2013/2014, while it was 144 the previous year.
- Robbery at residences was 88 compared to the previous year’s 97 and at non-residential premises it was 94, compared to the 99 of the previous year.
Contact crimes were also up in Springs, with common assault the highest on 529 reported cases.
The occurrence of common assault was slightly down, compared to 565 cases in 2012/2013.
There were 55 cases of murder in 2013/2014, compared to 41 the previous year and sexual crimes were 115, compared to 113 in 2012/2013.
No drastic difference was detected in the other contact crimes:
- Attempted murder stayed the same: 53 cases during the past two years.
- Assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm was 376 in 2013/2014, compared to 372 the previous year.
- Culpable homicide totalled 57, compared to the last year’s 40.
Other crimes that had more arrests in Springs each year through the past 10 years, are drug-related crimes, which are detected as a result of police action.
Compared to the 89 cases in the period April 2004 to March 2005 the arrests for these crimes gradually increased each year until 2014/2013 reflected 235 cases and 2013/2014, 536.
Drug-related crimes show the highest increase in the totals of the Gauteng province, which had 95,8% more arrests in drug-related crimes during 2013/2014, compared to the previous year.
Although Springs had no bank robberies reported, this is the crime mostly reported in Gauteng where there was an increase of 1 000% since the previous year in the province.
Other crimes’ statistics of Springs look like this:
- Arson 22 (28 the previous year).
- Malicious damage to property 407 (444).
- Unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition 36 (18).
- Driving under the influence of alcohol 215 (175).
- Public violence 2 (8).
- Crimen injuria 31 (38).
- Neglect and ill-treatment of children 8 (6).
- Kidnapping 11 (17).
