Pretoria – Robbery of cash-in-transit and bank robberies have decreased over the past financial year, the National Crime Statistics revealed on Thursday.
“Robbery of cash-in-transit has remarkably reduced by over … 62.4% during the past four years. We are encouraged to see a further 20.3% decrease during the past financial year (2012/13).
“Bank robbery remarkably reduced by … 93.1% during the past four years and we are pleased with another significant decrease of 80% during the past financial year (2012/13),” said Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa at the release of the stats in Pretoria.
In the period under review, there has also been an 18% decrease in ATM bombings, from 261 cases down to 214 cases.
Mthethwa attributed this to lessons learnt from strategic and structured partnerships with industry bodies, such as the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC).
"Police alone would not have been able to break the backbones of these crimes over the past few years," he said.
SABRIC CEO Kalyani Pillay said the downward trend demonstrates the commitment shown by dedicated policemen and women, working in collaboration with the banks, cash-in-transit companies, and SABRIC, to bring to book perpetrators of crimes affecting these industries.
There has been a swift arrest of most kingpins and keeping them in custody, while there have been fatalities of perpetrators in confrontation with the police.
Due to the sharing of intelligence and statistical information, engaging mall managers on security issues, shoplifting in the country also dropped by 3.9%
Theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles has also dropped by 4.4% during the past financial year, with Mthethwa saying this was due to the advanced technologies in vehicle security and police recoveries. However, car hijacking increased by 5.4% during the period under review
Meanwhile, burglary at non-residential premises has increased by 1.7% during the past financial year.
Some of the identified factors for this increase are foreign owned business, which are also used as a home and bank, lack of minimum or basic security measures on the premises as well as abundance of cash on the premises.
Common robbery for its part was reduced by 2.2%. This was attributed to the role of the community in supplying the necessary information and the patrols of the streets.
"This is corroborated by swift arrests that have been effected," said Mthethwa.
The introduction of Rural Safety Priority Committees that are functioning at national and provincial level in all provinces have seen stock theft drop by 6.5%.
There was also a 7% decrease in all other theft - a drop that has been attributed to the intensified implementation of the Second Hand Goods Act.
Meanwhile, malicious damage to property has decreased by 4.1%, while arson was also down by 8.7%.
Illegal firearms dropped by 0.7%. Police confiscated 20 145 firearms in the reporting period, while 4 936 were voluntary surrendered.
SAPS has destroyed a total of 56 051 in 2012/13 firearms in the last financial year. - SAnews.gov.za
