Quarterly crime stats – LEAP partnership continues to reduce violent crime, despite concerning national picture

23 November 2022 

LEAP officers deployed in the City’s most crime affected communities have for the second quarter in a row shown the impact they can make on reducing crime, confirming the City’s case to the national government for more localised policing power.

In particular, there are three results that I warmly welcome today:

1)    After LEAP was deployed to Philippi-East earlier this year, that station has completely fallen off the list of top 30 crime zones in South Africa.

2)    Over a 12-month period between October 2021 – September 2022, Gugulethu noted a 30,6 percent decrease in murder.

3)    Over the same 12 months, Delft has seen a 17,4% decrease in murder, with contact crime also declining by 12,1%.

There has also been a decline in contact crime in Gugulethu, Delft, Harare and Khayelitsha.

Murder statistics in six of the LEAP areas show a consistent decline in crime figures year on year.

‘Residents increasingly look to us to keep them safer and based on today’s results, it is encouraging that our targeted crime prevention approach is working, despite an overall very concerning national picture.  While there are many SAPS officers who are hardworking and dedicated, they simply do not receive the support they need.

This is why we are investing in more capacity for our units, with new equipment and technology aimed at increasing our crime prevention effectiveness and keeping our residents safe. It is clear that devolution of policing has become an even more urgent need. We call on Police Minister Bheki Cele to respond to our request made earlier this year,’ said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

In August this year, a formal request was sent to Minister Cele to give the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement officers full crime-fighting powers, including the ability to investigate crime so that we can more effectively support the SAPS, and catch criminals, and make sure they are prosecuted and put behind bars.

The gains made in Cape Town are encouraging, especially when seen against the backdrop of the alarming escalation in crime statistics across South Africa, with Murder cases increasing by 13,6%, Sexual Offences by 11%, Attempted Murder by 19,4%, Assault GBH by 15,8% and Common Assault by 19,5%.’

‘The City continues to invest heavily in its Safety and Security Directorate, and rightly so. We call on the national government to follow our lead. The police in our province and city are woefully under-resourced. Apart from the need for more boots on the ground, we reiterate our call for more investment in SAPS’ detective services.

In recent years, the City’s enforcement services have significantly increased their arrest rate, but we need the conviction rate to keep pace. An effective criminal justice system is crucial to addressing the high crime rates, bringing relief from high crime rates to communities and increasing public confidence,’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

Issued by Greg Wagner, Spokesperson to the Mayor, 23 November 2022