Police have made more arrests in connection with violent organised crime in Gauteng in the first six months of this year compared with the same period last year, provincial minister of community safety Firoz Cachalia said on Tuesday.
At a press briefing in Johannesburg held to report back on Gauteng’s anti-crime campaign over the period January to June 2007, Cachalia said arrests for residential and business robberies and vehicle hijackings had increased compared with last year.
”For the first time we are seeing results with respect to those specific crimes,” he said.
The initiative to target the three ”priority” crimes — launched earlier in the year — was named Operation Trio.
Cachalia said increased visibility and activity by the police during the operation had resulted in arrests for residential robberies increasing by 43,8% [650 arrests], for vehicle hijackings by 98,4% [375 arrests] and business robberies by 243% [199 arrests].
”The arrest rates of suspects for each of the other violent-crime categories also improved,” he said.
These were murder (22,8%), attempted murder (3,6%), rape (28,1%), total aggravated robbery (27,6%), common robbery (9,1%), assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm (16,3%) and common assault (12,3%).
The operation data was compiled from arrests made in the first six months of 2007 compared with the first six of 2006.
Cachalia said the department’s figures ”partly coincided” with the crime statistics released by national Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula on July 3 this year.
Cachalia said the crime trends differed since July last year.
”Fortunately I am happy to report that as from this year we have started to see a reduction or stabilisation in these [violent] crimes.”
He said the total numbers of violent crimes in the first half of the year, compared with the first half of 2006, had declined.
Between January and March the total number of violent crimes reported had declined with a marginal reduction of 0,3%, but between April and June the rate of reduction had improved significantly.
Murder started to decline during the first six months of 2007 after a 6% increase during the last financial year.
During January to March murder increased by 2,7% but then started to decrease between April and June.
Other marked decreases were in hijackings [between 7% and 10% for the first six months] and residential robberies [between 7% and 10% from April to June].
Cachalia said business robberies were still increasing but at a substantially lower rate than they were the previous year.
”This is an area that police have to do a lot better in,” he said.
Cachalia said the upward trend in numbers indicated a lack of focus and consistent application of the department’s strategies.
He said that while the South African Police Service (SAPS) was a large organisation with a significant budget there were still systematic weaknesses that needed to be improved.
The strategies were in place to fight crime but the key players needed to worker ”harder and smarter”.
”You can’t spin crime. We deal with crime, through fighting crime,” he said.
He was ”very aware” the levels of crime were still high and that it was too early to be optimistic about the decline in crime trends.
”We are starting to see some welcome signs that progress is being made. Nevertheless, crime is still too high and much more still has to be done,” Cachalia said. — Sapa