’Plain tops crime lists in country and province

Mitchell’s Plain police station has the highest cases of sexual assault, contact-related crime, malicious damage to property, crime detected as a result of police action, drug-related crime and the illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions in the country and the province.

Crime statistics for the Republic of South Africa dating from April 2024 until June 2024 were released by Minister of Police Edward Senzo Mchunu on Friday August 30.

The top 30 police stations in the country province were listed in 24 crime categories.

Mitchell’s Plain, one of the largest police precincts in the country, lists on 15 of those crime category lists. It takes second place in the country and province in common assault cases. It has the highest attempted murder cases in the Western Cape and is fourth in the country. In the province it has the second most cases of all theft not mentioned elsewhere

According to the statistics Mitchell’s Plain increased the number sexual assault cases from nine the same time last year, to 13 by the end of June.

Four less contact-related crimes were reported this year, 208 cases, compared to 212 last year.

Malicious damage to property is down by three cases; crime detected as a result of police action is down by 27, from 1 293; and Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition is down by 17 cases, from 1 219 - all compared to last year.

Mitchell’s Plain police station has the third highest number of cases in the country 2 958 - this 193 cases more than it had last year. It has the second most cases in the province.

Mitchell’s Plain Community Police Forum (CPF) chairman Norman Jantjes said they would get an overview of the crime statistics yesterday, Tuesday September 3, and then formulate a response.

He said contact crime has always been a concern but was happy to see that the murder rate has gone down slightly.

“We are however worried that the recent spate of murders would let the numbers spike in the next quarter,” he said.

Mr Jantjes said they would like to see the filling of senior police staff posts, especially in the detective branch.

“Our station commander has also now been transferred to the Mitchell’s Plain cluster, which will contribute to instability and a lower morale at the station,” he said.

Lentegeur police station ranks fourth in the top 30 police stations in the country and province for crime detected as a result of police action, which is down from 760 cases last year; and drug-related crime, which is 17 cases more than it was 712 last year.

It takes 15th place in the province for malicious damage to property and 29th in the country with 96 cases reported by June, 13 less cases compared to last year.

The police station which was opened in May 2013 - saw a decrease in the number of contact-related crime by 13, from 110 last year. It is ranked 30th in the country and 16th in the province.

SAPS Mitchell’s Plain Sub District deputy district commissioner Brigadier Mark Hartzenberg said: “Crime statistics is of cardinal importance for the station.”

He said it provided strategic information for strategic decision making and deployments of forces.

“The statistics are analysed with the purpose to determine crime patterns, hotspots, modus operandi and crime threats in order to do pro-active hotspot policing and direct investigation of cases,” he said.

The district includes Mitchell’s Plain, Lentegeur, Strandfontein, Phillipi, Grassy Park, Steenberg, Lansdowne and Athlone

Brigadier Hartzenberg asked the community to provide them with information, which would lead them to the successful prosecution of identified suspects.

“Our community is invited to join the reservists core, join the Community in Blue (an initiative of SAPS, with the goal of elevating all CPFs to the level the law intended), become involved in the CPF sub-forums within the areas and ultimately be the eyes and ears of the police,“ he said.

Strandfontein police station did not rank in any of the nation’s top 30 lists. Police station and provincial crime statistics have not yet been released.

Hours after the release of the national crime statistics the Western Cape Cooperation Agreement for Safety and Policing was signed by SAPS, Western Cape Government (WCG) and City of Cape Town in Belhar on Friday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa speaking at the event said it was an historic occasion of bringing together various police services in the City, province and nationally.

“As parents, teachers and learners we are tired of thugs causing chaos inside our schools, and bringing weapons and drugs into classrooms.

“We are tired of our young people’s lives being wasted by tik, nyaope, whoonga, Tusi, buttons and other drugs,” he said.

Premier Alan Winde urged stakeholders to implement the agreement with urgency - to see that it fully embraces technology and intelligence.

“Backed by intelligence-gathering and technological enhancements, we can give our SAPS members and law enforcement officers an added edge to stay one step ahead of criminals,” he said.

Mayoral committee for safety and security JP Smith called on Mr Mchunu to finalise the sharing of intelligence, planned joint operations, gathering evidence and using every tool at the City’s disposal to cases - within the next three weeks.