Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia says police have recorded notable decreases in several of the country's most serious contact crimes.
“Murder has declined, marking yet another consecutive quarter in which this crime has shown a downward trajectory,” Cachalia said.
Speaking at the release of the First Quarter Crime Statistics in Pretoria on Friday, Cachalia said they have also seen significant reductions in crimes such as carjacking, residential robberies, business robberies and cash-in-transit robberies.
Murder decreased by 5.9%, from 5 770 to 5 427 cases.
"This represents 343 fewer murders compared to the same period last year.
The South African Police Service will direct resources, personnel and operational deployments to ensure a more decisive response.
“These are the crimes that create fear in our communities. Many are committed by organised, heavily armed criminal groups that operate with planning and sophistication. Others are interpersonal crimes, perpetrated by people known to their victims, reflecting deeper challenges within our social fabric and the breakdown of trust and relationships in communities,” Cachalia said.
Sexual offences declined from 11 630 to 11 532 (-98); carjacking declined from 4 657 to 3 811 (-846); robbery at residential premises declined from 5 360 to 4 416 (-944), while robbery at non-residential premises declined from 3 099 to 2 733 (-366). Robbery with aggravating circumstances declined from 31 475 to 26 839 (-4.636).
Cachalia said seeing sustained declines across the various categories demonstrates that intelligence-led policing, targeted operations and improved collaboration between law enforcement agencies are beginning to have an impact, while also underscoring the importance of broader social interventions to address the root causes of violence.
“At the same time, we must remain honest with ourselves and with the South African public. While percentage decreases are encouraging, they do not erase the reality that far too many South Africans continue to lose their lives through violent crime. Every murder remains one too many. Every victim deserves justice.
“We are also concerned about crime categories that have increased during the reporting period, particularly those affecting women, children and other vulnerable members of society. Gender-based violence and femicide continues to demand urgent attention from every sector of society,” the Acting Minister said.
Cachalia said the protection of women and children and other vulnerable persons remains a national policing priority requiring sustained investment and prevention, victim support, investigation and prosecution.
“The statistics also continue to confirm an important trend: crime is highly concentrated. A relatively small number of policing precincts account for a disproportionate amount of violent crime.
“This reinforces our commitment to deploying resources where they are needed most and ensuring that operational decisions are increasingly driven by crime intelligence and evidence rather than assumptions.”
Cachalia said the resolution from the recent MinMEC [Ministers/Members of Executive Council] meeting was to prioritise interventions in 140 high-crime police station precincts across the country.
“These resolutions complement the work already underway and will serve as an important guide as we continue implementing interventions aimed at reducing violent crime across the country.
“The senior leadership of the SAPS interrogates the crime picture every Monday looking at shifts... that can inform whether how we are using our resources is having an impact or not.”
Cachalia said crime statistics are not merely numbers on a page.
“Behind every statistic is a victim, a grieving family, a traumatised community and, in far too many cases, a life that can never be replaced.”
Cachalia said as the South African Police Service (SAPS), they remain mindful that while statistics help measure performance, the ultimate responsibility is to protect the people of South Africa and to restore their confidence in the ability of the State to keep them safe.
“The time has come to appreciate what the police are doing. Policing is difficult in this country, the police are paying the price and yet we are making progress,” Cachalia said. – SAnews.gov.za
