Durban - The police crime statistics have revealed that the Berea policing precinct has seen a spike in the theft of motor vehicles.
This was revealed when the South African Police Service briefed the Portfolio Committee on Police (PCOP) on the 2018/19 annual crime statistics in Parliament on Thursday.
The statistics are for all crime reported for the period between 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019.
Minister of Police Bheki Cele said the crime statistics is presented cover 21 crime categories, namely 17 Community reported crimes and four other crime categories detected as a result of police action.
He said the scope of the crimes was reported at all 1154 police stations, including satellite stations and ports of entry nationwide.
All crimes were either reported by the victim, witness, third-parties or detected by members of the South African Police Service.
The police made available statistics of crimes such as murder, sexual offences, attempted murder, assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, common assault, common robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
According to the crime states presented on Berea SAPS the theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles had increased from 515 (2017/2018) to 591 (2018/2019).
Berea police were hardest hit with 763 reported cases in 2016/2017.
The theft out of or from motor vehicle decreased from 472 (2017/2018) to 425(2018/2019). This crime catergory peaked at 708 reported cases in 2013/2014.
According to the stats the other crimes which impacted on the suburb were
- Murder: 7 reported incidents.
- Common robbery increased by 7 incidents from 92 (2017/2018) to 99 (2018/2019)
- Robbery aggravating circumstances: 244 (2017/2018) cases reported. An increase of two cases from the previous year.
- Car-jackings decreased by 17 cases from 45 (2017/2018) to 28 2018/2019 reported cases . Hijackings peaked with 129 cases reported in 2016/2017
- Robbery at residential premises (house robbery) a total of 28 (2017/2018) to 41 reported cases in 2018/2019
- Robbery at non residential premises - 29 to 31 (2017/2018)
- Malicious damage to property 136 cases an increase of 35 from the previous year
- Burglary 361 (2017/2018) to 349 reported cases in 2018/2019. This is the lowest figure since 2009/2010. In 2011/2012 a total of 539 cases were reported.