Brakpan crime stats reveal spike in violent offences

The 2024/2025 fourth quarter crime statistics were released on Friday, reflecting crimes reported to SAPS from January to March this year.

The figures for Brakpan revealed an increase in crimes such as kidnappings, rapes, murders and commercial crimes, while other crimes showed a significant decline such as burglary at non-residential premises and shoplifting.

The local police station featured on the Gauteng provincial top 30 list in several categories and the national top 30 list in two categories.

These are:
• All theft not mentioned elsewhere: position 15
• Commercial crime: position 27
• Burglary at non-residential premises: position 15
• Contact sexual offences: position 10
• Crimen injuria: position 13 (with an increase from five cases the previous year to 25)
• Kidnapping: position 22. The station is 26th nationally in this category.
• Other serious crime: position 22
• Stock theft: position 28
• Truck hijacking: position eight. The station is eighth nationally in this category.

The full stats for Brakpan are as follows and are compared to the same time period as the previous year:
Contact crimes (crimes against a person)
• Murder increased from three cases the previous year to five.
• Sexual offences increased from 15 to 19.
• Attempted murder increased from six to 11.
• Assault GBH decreased from 33 to 24.
• Common assault decreased from 89 to 82.
• Common robbery decreased from 20 to 14.
• Robbery with aggravating circumstances remained the same at 77 cases.
Total contact crimes decreased from 243 to 232.

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Sexual offences
• Rape increased from eight cases the previous year to 10.
• Sexual assault increased from seven to nine
• Attempted sexual offences remained the same and no cases were reported.
• Contact sexual offences remained the same and no cases were reported.

Some subcategories of aggravated robbery
• Carjacking increased from 14 cases the previous year to 26.
• Robbery at residential premises remained the same at five cases.
• Robbery at non-residential premises decreased from 11 to 10.
• Trio crime increased from 30 to 41.
• Robbery of cash-in-transit vehicle remained the same and no cases were reported.
• Bank robbery remained the same and no cases were reported.
• Truck hijacking decreased from eight to seven.

Contact-related crimes
• Arson remained the same and no cases were reported.
• Malicious damage to property remained the same at 33 cases.
Total contact-related crimes remained the same at 33 cases.

Property-related crimes
• Burglary at non-residential premises decreased from 33 cases the previous year to 15.
• Burglary at residential premises decreased from 81 to 56.
• Theft of motor vehicle and motorcycle increased from 40 to 47.
• Theft out of or from motor vehicle decreased from 38 to 30.
• Stock theft increased from no cases to two.
Total property-related crimes decreased from 192 to 150.

Other serious crimes
• All theft not mentioned elsewhere increased from 180 cases the previous year to 226.
• Commercial crime increased from 119 to 121.
• Shoplifting decreased from 51 to 31.
Total other serious crimes increased from 350 to 378.
Total 17 community reported serious crimes decreased from 818 to 793.

Crime detected as a result of police action
• Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition decreased from eight cases the previous year to two.
• Drug-related crime increased from 132 to 144.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs increased from 51 to 61.
• Sexual offences detected as a result of police increased from no cases to one.
Total crime detected as a result of police action increased from 191 to 208.
• Kidnapping increased from 11 cases the previous year to 30.

Information obtained from saps.gov.za

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