For the first time in eight years, vehicle hijackings in South Africa have dropped below 10 700, reflecting a decrease of 23,6%.
“During engagements with both tracker companies, and the South African Insurance Crime Bureau, they indicated they were also experiencing a significant decline in cases of theft of vehicles,” said Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa at a press conference to announce annual crime statistics in Pretoria on Thursday.
The reasons why car hijacking figures have dropped was because police have been focusing on repeat offenders, and have good partnerships with businesses, according to Hugo Van Zyl, chief operating office for the South African Insurance Crime Bureau. The bureau was set up to investigate organised crime and fraud in the short-term insurance industry.
“I think the police have been concentrating on certain crime spots, and they are doing a sterling job. These statistics are 100% in line with what we are seeing in our industry. Tracking is also of utmost importance in curbing the problem,” said Van Zyl.