Brooklyn remains SA’s top hotspot for vehicle theft despite national decline

Although motor vehicle and motorcycle thefts decreased slightly nationally in the fourth quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year, Brooklyn remains the leading hotspot for the crime, surpassing all other police stations in the country.

According to the crime statistics for the fourth quarter (January-March) released by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on May 23, the Brooklyn police precinct still ranks in the top 30 nationally for serious crimes.

Brooklyn Police Station, which serves 28 suburbs including Brooklyn, Hatfield, Lynnwood North, Hazelwood, Menlo Park, and Waterkloof, faces a complex crime landscape.

The precinct includes student residences, shopping malls, sports facilities, restaurants, bars, and university campuses, making it a high-traffic and high-risk area.

Among the six police stations in the east of Pretoria, Brooklyn remains the most affected by crime.

It is currently ranked:

– fifth nationally for property-related crime

– sixth for commercial crimes

– eighth for common robbery

– ninth for serious crime overall

– 10th for theft not otherwise specified

– 20th for burglary at non-residential premises

– 23rd for the broader category of 17 community-reported crimes

These rankings highlight the urgent need for increased resources and targeted interventions to address the ongoing crime challenges in the Brooklyn policing precinct.

It has, however, seen a decline in sexual offences, with two counts lower compared to the previous quarter. The station has seen a 13-count decrease in burglary at non-residential premises.

This quarter, the station registered no cases of attempted sexual offences, arson, cash in transit, stock theft and murder.

The station also saw a 21% decline in theft out of or from motor vehicles, 40.7% decrease in robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Bronkhorstspruit policing precinct

This precinct has shown a major decline in most crime categories, with sexual offences decreasing by 9 counts, rape decreased by 7 counts, carjacking decreased by four counts leaving 8 active cases compared to 15 in the same quarter previously.

The station has shown a drop in theft out of or from motor vehicles by 13 counts, with only 25 cases compared to the 38 of the previous quarter.

Burglary at non-residential premises decreased by 17 counts, leaving 21 active cases compared to the 38 of the same quarter last year.

The station recorded a decline of 5% in other serious crime, 10.7% decrease in all theft not mentioned elsewhere.

Bronkhorstspruit station further recorded a 74% decrease in 17 communities reported serious crime. However, malicious property damage increased by 10 counts, theft of motor vehicle and motorcycle increased by 5 counts, leading to 9 cases compared to the 4 of the same quarter last year.

Garsfontein station:

This station used to be among the top 30 stations nationally plagued by crime. However, lately it has shown a modest and slight decline in crime.

The station this quarter only registered one murder case, 11 cases of sexual offences, and a 12-count decrease in common assault.

Garsfontein recorded a 6-count decrease in carjacking, robbery at residential premises increased by 4 cases, and robbery at non-residential premises decreased by three counts.

Theft out of or from motor vehicles increased by 6.2%, and burglary at residential premises increased by 30.7%, with 115 recorded cases.

Theft out of or from motor vehicles increased by 6.2%, common robbery increased by 7 counts, standing at 37 cases from the 30 cases previously.

Silverton:

The policing precinct servicing Meyerspark, Val-de-Grace, Brummeria, Willow Park and Waltloo registered increases in murder, sexual offences, rape and sexual assault.

Silverton police station is ranked 16th nationally in robbery at residential premises and 23rd in other serious crimes.

The station recorded 5 cases of murder this quarter compared to the four of the same quarter last year.

The station registered 18 cases of sexual offences, 14 cases of rape and 38 cases of robbery at residential premises. However, robberies at non-residential locations decreased by 12 counts, registering 9 cases this quarter compared to the 21 of the same quarter last year.

Car hijackings in Silverton decreased by two counts from 22 registered in the same period last year. Trio crimes increased by 17%.

Burglary at residences increased by 1.6%, but decreased by 7 counts at non-residential locations from 29 cases registered in the same period last year. Commercial crime grew by 31.3%, while other serious crimes grew by 1.9%.

Boschkop policing precinct:

The policing precinct in the far east of Pretoria recorded fluctuating stats.

The station recorded on case of rape this quarter, but sexual offences grew by eight counts from 13 of the same period to 21 this quarter.

Attempted murder cases grew by two counts while common robbery decreased by two.

Robbery at residential premises decreased by 8 counts from 14 cases in the same period last year.

Theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles decreased by 3 counts from 26 cases in the same period last year to 23 active cases.

Burglary at residential premises increased by nine counts from 19 cases in the previous period last year to 28 cases this quarter.

Commercial crimes increased by 31%, with 131 cases recorded this quarter compared to 100 in the same period last year.

Other serious crimes increased by 10.2%.

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