Despite its best efforts, Linden Police Station reported that business robberies over the past financial year have increased and they have the statistics of 2015/2016 to prove it.
Linden police released the statistics to a packed hall of residents at Fontainebleau Family Church on 19 October .
Captain Alex Vermaak attributed the increase of business robberies to the fact that many residential premises have been converted to business buildings. He noted that the least overall crime contributor was Sector 2 and said that Sector 4 was the highest contributor. “Ferndale and Blairgowrie were the biggest contributors because of their large size,” said Vermaak.
He added that there was an 86 per cent increase in shoplifting, while there was a 21 per cent decrease in all theft (petty and normal theft).
Sector 1 crime stats:
House robberies dropped from 46 to 42
Business robberies went up from six to seven
Murder went from zero to three
Business burglaries went up from 28 to 58
Robberies with a firearm went down from 52 to 33
Common robberies went up from 42 to 46
Theft of motor vehicles dropped from 142 to 139
Theft out of motor vehicles dropped from 217 to 187.
Blairgowrie was highlighted as being the highest contributor to crime in the sector with 443 reported cases, followed by Ferndale with 208.
Sector 2 crime stats:
House robberies dropped from 37 to 31
Business robberies went up from five to seven
Murders went down from two to one
Business burglaries went down from 23 to 17
Robberies with a firearm went down from 18 to 11
Common robberies went up from 21 to 22
Theft of motor vehicles went up from 83 to 131
Theft out of motor vehicles went up from 111 to 143.
Linden was the biggest contributor to crime in the sector, with 320 cases reported, followed by Franklin Roosevelt Park with 64 reported cases.
Sector 3 crime stats:
House robberies went up from 20 to 22
Business robberies went up from 7 to 13
Murders went up from 0 to 2
Business burglaries remained at 34
Robberies with a firearm went down from 27 to 26
Common robberies remained at 16
Theft of motor vehicles went up from 93 to 110
Theft out of motor vehicles dropped from 242 to 202
Malanshof was the biggest contributor with 309 reported cases, followed by Fontainebleau with 177 and Praegville with 103.
Sector 4 crime stats:
House robberies went up from 12 to 15
Business robberies went down from six to two
Murder remained at one
Business burglaries went up from 18 to 33
Robberies with a firearm went down from 53 to 28
Common robberies went down by one, from 62 to 61
Theft of motor vehicles went up from 122 to 171
Theft out of motor vehicles dropped from 164 to 142
The biggest contributor was Winsdor, with 849 reported cases, followed by Cresta with 175 reported cases.
