Minister admits to concern over shock crime statistics

According to a national police report released yesterday, murder increased by 2.4%, bank robberies by 118% and aggravated robbery by 4.6% between April 2006 and March 2007. Robberies at business premises increased by 52.5% and robberies at residential premises increased by 25.4%. ‘The fact that instances of serious and violent crime are very high is disconcerting and unacceptable,’ said Nqakula, according to a Beeld report. Overall, there was a 3.4% decrease in serious and violent crimes. More than 55% of armed robberies took place in Gauteng, because the province was virtually completely urbanised, according to police chief statistician Dr Chris de Kock. ‘Murders have shown a decline only in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape. In the past financial year in SA, there were 674 more murders. ‘Look at the figures: they are not a train smash. There\'s a small increase, because of the upward pressure of robberies,’ said De Kock. Full Beeld report Crime Statistics

Business is bearing the brunt, according to a Moneyweb report, which points out there were 4 387 robberies at business premises in April 2005 to March 2006, a figure that shot up to 6 689 in the same period last year. There were 129 bank robberies last year compared with 59 the year before. It quotes the SA Chamber of Business (Sacob) as saying the police have lost the capacity do deal with the problem. Sacob’s Chief Economist Bill Lacey said this will dent business confidence and that it’s difficult to get a sympathetic ear from the Minister. ‘Sacob has been trying to meet with the Minister and we have had no luck yet’. Lacey says business has become a target because there is more money to be had. Independent crime researcher and author Anthony Altbeker agrees. He says businesses are where the money is in an environment where there has been an explosion in predatory crime. ‘This shows in the table where you see crimes like muggings up only 1%, he says. Full Moneyweb report

The statistics prove crime is out of control, claim opposition parties. ‘It once again proves without doubt that crime is out of control in SA and that the levels of crime remain alarmingly high, despite empty government promises,’ said IFP spokesperson Velaphi Ndlovu. The IFP believed it again highlighted the need for increased visible policing at banks, business premises, shopping malls and within residential areas, notes a Mail & Guardian Online report. Dianne Kohler-Barnard, of the DA, said the figures made a mockery of Nqakula\'s assurances to foreign business that the crime rate was under control. There had been some reported decreases, such as attempted murder (3%), rape (5.2%) and indecent assault (5.5%), but because the absolute figures were not yet available, actual performance to previous years could not be compared, she said. What also needed to be taken into account was that many of the categories indicating decreases were crimes where the victim might be strongly influenced not to report due to risks of secondary trauma, inadequate victim support and lack of victim-friendly processes. Full Mail & Guardian Online report