Crime statistics under suspicion

 "Crime statistics of the Police is under suspicion because provincial commissioner's statistics differ from the crime statistics in the annual reports of the Police. It is little wonder that the public does not trust the annual crime statistics and believe that they are manipulated," Mr. Pieter Groenewald, the chief spokesperson on the Police for the Freedom Front Plus says.

These differences were discovered when provincial commissioners today reported to the portfolio committee on Police on the functioning of the Police in every province. According to the Northwest commissioner, the figures for murder remained the same for 2010/2011 as it was in 2009/2010.

According to the annual report, murder increased with 7,9% over the same period of time. In the case of assault with the intention to do grievous bodily harm, the commissioner said that it had declined with 3% but according to the annual report it increased by 4,3%. Similar discrepancies exist with regards to the Western Cape, the Northern Cape and other provinces.

"All the commissioners use these statistics to measure their performance in their respective provinces but the figures do not add up. Either the commissioners are hiding the crime statistics to look good or the minister of Police and the national commissioner are misleading the public. These differences should be cleared up immediately and the guilty parties should be held accountable," Groenewald said.

Statement issued by Mr. Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus Chief Spokesperson: Police, February 8 2012

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