Pretoria - Organised crimes such as carjacking, cash-in-transit heists and bank robberies have decreased, according to the 2011/2012 crime statistics released by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa on Thursday.
According to the minister, car hijacking declined by 11.9%. This drop showed that strategies police put in place over the past three years continued to yield results.
"Both motor vehicle theft and carjacking are more organised in nature and frequently linked to the export of stolen or hijacked vehicles across the borders of the Republic of South Africa. But we are encouraged by the work done by the crime intelligence, working with various SAPS units, and this collaboration resulted in a number of arrests thus disrupting and halting some of these syndicates," Mthethwa added.
There has also been a dramatic decrease in cash-in-transits, which dropped by 37.5%
These figures were particularly encouraging, the minister said, adding that the progress, to a large extent, could be attributed to better coordination and information-sharing between the SAPS and the various role-players.
In the 2011/12 financial year, bank robberies decreased by 10.3%.
"...such declines were not achieved through sheer luck but through well-coordinated planning, partnerships with the business and banking sectors and we shall continue to sustain these partnerships," Mthethwa noted.
Also encouraging, was the decrease in ATM bombings which decreased by 34.6% in the 2011/12 financial year, the minister said.
Aggravated robbery - the second-largest generator of other contact crimes, particularly attempted murder and murder - because victims are sometimes killed or seriously injured during such robberies - decreased by 1.4%.
However, during the 2010/11 financial year, the robbery with aggravating circumstances ratio decreased by 12%
"We have to say upfront we are unhappy with this reversal and shall be paying attention to this category," he stressed.
Mthethwa, meanwhile, was encouraged by the 4.6% decrease in common robberies.
With regards to trio crimes, there was a decline in two of the trio crimes for the financial year 2011/12.
While carjacking decreased by 11.9% and house robberies by 1.9%, business robberies had increased by 7.5%.
The seriousness with which government viewed crimes against small business, required a comprehensive and holistic strategy to ensure that the phenomenon was addressed in all its dimensions, he added.
"We need to implement a shared vision, a collective and integrated approach, business involvement and participation and improved crime-prevention."
A strategy to combat and reduce robberies at small business had been finalised and through the Civilian Secretariat of Police; there would be engagement with relevant parties to ensure the implementation of the strategy within the next few weeks.
The crime statistics also show a marginal 2% decrease in burglary at residential premises.
