The recently released crime statistics for Randfontein, Westonaria and the newly established Bekkersdal Police Stations show that, though the war against crime is far from won, police are making some headway.

In Randfontein, murder, sexual crimes, hijacking and house robbery are significantly lower than in the year before, showing that crime- fighting initiatives by police and community organisations such as the CPF are bearing fruit.

Burglary, on the other hand has escalated significantly.

Police in Randfontein also have made headway in terms of crimes that depend heavily on police detection, with the most people being arrested for drug-related crimes, drunken driving and the possession of illegal firearms and ammunition than in the past ten years.

According to Randfontein SAPS spokesperson, Captain Appel Ernst, the increase in these crimes is viewed as positive, since it had an impact on murders, sexual crimes, assaults and numerous other crimes where drugs and firearms play a role.“The increase should be seen as an indication of the proactive crime-prevention measures the Randfontein SAPS have taken during the last year,” says Ernst.

She says that the increase in some crimes are partly due to the fact that residents report crimes to the police more freely than before.

“Other factors that impact negatively on these crime increases are urbanisation, increased population and unemployment.

“The Randfontein SAPS management is satisfied with the results and with the fact that every effort is made to curb crime in Randfontein.”

The splitting of the Bekkersdal Police Station and the Westonaria Police Station has gone a long way in showing where most crime in the area emanate from.

While crime in Westonaria is at an all time low, things look much bleaker in Bekkersdal.

House robbery and burglary in the area are rife. Contrary to what many think, this is not a problem in the suburbs only as the statistics show that 45 cases of house robbery and 293 residential burglaries were reported.

There were also 28 business robberies, 30 car hijackings and 10 truck hijackings reported during the year.

Drug-related crimes were surprisingly low, with only 65 cases reported.

The Herald was unsuccessful in its attempts to get comment from the Westonaria and Bekkersdal Police Stations.