Hermanus police’s integrated approach to crime fighting seems to be reaping dividends with an overall decrease of 5,1% in crime figures for the month of April.
Station commander Colonel Gustav Tamboer thanked all role-players involved in the fight against crime, including members of the community who assist the police, for their continued contribution to making communities within the greater Hermanus safer for all.
Burglaries at business premises showed a marked decrease of 90% while business robberies dropped by an astounding 100%. This, said Tamboer, can be attributed to higher visibility of all crime-fighting role players, especially private security companies. “Another important factor is good-communication channels such as WhatsApp groups. The fact that more and more businesses install CCTV and security cameras also serve as deterrent.”
Tamboer highlighted the fact that the category crimes dependent on proactive police action for detection spiked by 114,5%. This is seen as a positive increase because the crimes in this category (such as the possession of dangerous weapons and illegal dealing in liquor) often go unreported and rely heavily on police action such as information-driven operations (raids) and Vehicle Check Points for detection.
“Drug-related crimes show an increase of 123,2% while selling liquor without a licence increased by 62,5%. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs increased by 33,3% and the possession of dangerous weapons by 9,8%,” Tamboer stated.
Categories that showed an increase include murder (up by 50%), common robbery (+75%), malicious damage to property (+92,8%) and theft of motorvehicle or motorcycle (increased by 50%).
Other good news on the crime front is that property-related crimes dropped by 39,6%, all sexual offences decreased by 60% and the number of attempted murder cases are 75% lower. A decrease of 50% in house robberies was recorderd and a 25% drop in burglaries at residential premises.
Tamboer stated: “This overall reduction proves that our integrated approach to crime shows dividends. A huge thank you to our communities who report crime and assist us to get the criminals behind bars. The South African Police Service has an Informer Claims system that pays members of the public for positive information that leads to arrests and successful prosecution. You can make use of it.”
He added that the police would continue to assist communities with establishing neighbourhood watches and added: “Mount Pleasant is a priority for this. I want to emphasise that crime fighting starts with you. Together we can do it. I salute you all.”
