“We have two major contributors to our overall 17 community reported serious crimes, which totalled 115,458, and that is the category of contact crimes (50,039) and other serious crimes (33,088).”
“We have been appealing to the public to find ways other than violence to resolve conflicts. We have previously highlighted that assault GBH and common assault are the main contributors to our overall figure for contact crimes.”
He said the two crimes “contributed more than 50% as they recorded 25,642 counts out of 50,039 counts in the contact crimes category. Assault GBH has increased by 4.5% (487 counts more) and common assault has increased by 9.4% (1,238 counts more).
Trio crimes, which include carjacking and robberies at residential and non-residential premises, saw a reduction of 0.1%.
“This was due to the reduction in carjacking by 6.8% which translates to 192 counts less than the same period in 2021/2022.”
‘Find ways other than violence to resolve conflicts’, Elias Mawela pleads as assaults worsen
Crime stats for October to December paint picture of violent, thieving society
Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela says the province has seen a 7.1% increase in serious crimes and contributed 27.1% to the overall crime figure countrywide in the third quarter.
Mawela singled out contact crimes and other serious crimes as the two major contributors.
He was presenting the province’s third quarter statistics to the Gauteng legislature portfolio committee on community safety, which focused on crimes committed in the province between October and December 2022.
Mawela said police “recorded crime statistics for the third quarter, as reflected under the 17 community reported serious crimes category, increased by 7.1%. The province contributed 27.1 % of overall crime in the country for this quarter.
“We have two major contributors to our overall 17 community reported serious crimes, which totalled 115,458, and that is the category of contact crimes (50,039) and other serious crimes (33,088).”
“We have been appealing to the public to find ways other than violence to resolve conflicts. We have previously highlighted that assault GBH and common assault are the main contributors to our overall figure for contact crimes.”
He said the two crimes “contributed more than 50% as they recorded 25,642 counts out of 50,039 counts in the contact crimes category. Assault GBH has increased by 4.5% (487 counts more) and common assault has increased by 9.4% (1,238 counts more).
Trio crimes, which include carjacking and robberies at residential and non-residential premises, saw a reduction of 0.1%.
“This was due to the reduction in carjacking by 6.8% which translates to 192 counts less than the same period in 2021/2022.”
Other serious crimes, which include shoplifting and commercial crimes, recorded 33,088 counts overall, with the theft category contributing 19,512 counts.
“It is for this reason theft in general is the single largest contributing crime category to our 17 community reported crimes,” Mawela said.
“Assaults and theft (45,154) are contributing negatively to our crime scoreboard and we have to find ways to prevent them.”
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