Experts predicts increase in murder
South African Police Union calls for the intelligence service to come on board in the fight against crime
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said it expected Pretoria statistics to be higher for hijackings and murder for the period 2015/16.
The ISS based this on the rise of these crimes in the province as stated in the latest crime statistics released in Parliament today.
Gauteng led in all categories of all aggravated robberies during the 2015-16 crime statistics.
An increase of 4.7% in murder was recorded in Gauteng since last year.
The murder rate has jumped from 3 671 between 2014/2015 to 3 842 in 2015/2016.
Lyzette Lancaster, project manager of crime and justice information and analysis at the ISS, said it would not come as a surprise if the murder rate in Pretoria has also increased.
“There were 372 more cases of murder in Gauteng, compared to the previous year. And no doubt this would affect figures in Pretoria,” she said.
She added: “There should be an increase in carjackings around Pretoria, given the fact that the large portion of this type of crime was in Gauteng.”
Dr Johan Burger, senior researcher at the institute, said the reason for this increase was the collapse in the intelligence division of the police.
“It has to do with increased activities of organised criminal groups in the province and the weakness of the intelligence services, together with bad leadership from the SAPS.”
The SA Police Union (Sapu) called upon the police intelligence division to get involved in the fight against crime.
“We are also calling upon the police crime intelligence division to leave politics aside and come on board where its service is needed most,” Sapu general secretary Oscar Skommere said in a statement.
A breakdown of the crime statistics for Pretoria will be issued in due course.
Also read:
House robberies in SA on the rise
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