CoJ crime statistics for first quarter released
"We are committed to turning the tide against crime in Johannesburg."
“Despite the positive indications so far, there is still a substantial amount of work to be done to keep our communities safe,” said Mayor Herman Mashaba.
In a recent press release, the Mayor commented on a report indicating the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ) crime statistics for the first quarter of the 2017/18 financial year, and said, “Though crime remains the competency of national government and the police, the City has committed to doing all it can to increase crime prevention efforts, with a focus on increased visible policing, in order to create a safe city for residents to work, live and play in.”
Read more: Roodepoort: Crime stats still paint a grim picture
He added that he believed the positive results indicated in the report had been achieved by the relaunching of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department’s (JMPD) K9 Unit. “This unit’s main focus has been on our war on drugs and other related crimes such as theft and robbery. Since commencing its work in November last year, the K9 Unit has made 195 arrests for possession of drugs, 205 arrests for the possession of stolen vehicles, 46 arrests for hijacking, and 39 arrests for possession of unlicensed firearms, and 73 hijacked vehicles have been recovered so far,” he said.
According to these statistics, the majority of crimes showed a reduction, including:
• Business robberies (three per cent),
• Residential robberies (seven per cent),
• Common robberies (three percent),
• Motor vehicles theft (eight per cent).
“Sadly, the statistics on assault with the intention to do grievous bodily harm and common assault have increased. The Department of Public Safety is already embarking on a strategy to tackle this problem. We are also working closely with the Departments of Health and Social Development to ensure social workers are permanently stationed with their JMPD counterparts to provide counselling for women and children who are victims of domestic violence,” said the Mayor.
In a further attempt to curb crime, an additional 1 500 JMPD trainees have been inducted into the force, to help win the fight against criminals on the street, and host awareness campaigns to educate women on how to protect themselves against assault.
The Mayor concluded by saying, “I would like to thank our law enforcement authorities and the JMPD for the work which is being done in our communities. By working together, we can make Johannesburg safer for all.”
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