By Johannah Malogadihlare
Crime in Gauteng dropped by 6.5% in the last quarter last year, with the police provincial police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni saying this downward trend was due to joint efforts between SAPS and law enforcement agencies.
“The downward trajectory of the province’s crime statistics we are witnessing now makes us hopeful. Hopeful that we are moving in the right direction,” Mthombeni said in a statement.
He said to improve service delivery, the police and ministerial cooperation agreement shared resources to address safety and security concerns.
However, he noted that Gauteng remained the hardest-hit province, contributing 26.5% to the country’s overall crime stats for the quarter.
Contact crimes saw a 4.7% decrease, with 48,929 cases recorded between October and December, compared to 51,327 in the same period in 2023.
Murder dropped by 2.5%, from 1787 cases to 1741.
However, attempted murder rose by 2.4% to 1820 cases, and common assault increased by 670 cases, bringing the total to 14,970.
A total of 34,910 suspects were nabbed for various crimes, including 10,960 of illegal immigrants.
Six drug laboratories were shut down.
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