We are committed to turning the tide against crime in Joburg
I have noted a report indicating the City of Johannesburg’s crime statistics for the first quarter of the municipality’s 2017/18 financial year.
The report is generated from data gathered from incidents reported to the SAPS.
Though crime remains the competency of national government and the SAPS, the City has committed to doing all it can to increase crime prevention efforts, with a focus on increased visible policing, in order to create a safe city for residents to work, live and play.
This has been achieved by re-launching the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) K-9 unit whose main focus has been on our war on drugs and other related crimes such as, theft and robbery.
Since commencing its work in November last year, the K-9 Unit has:
• Arrested 195 persons for the possession of drugs;
• Arrested 205 persons for the possession of a stolen motor vehicle;
• Arrested 46 people for hijacking; and
• Arrested 39 people for the possession of an unlicensed firearm;
In the last quarter alone, the City has recovered 73 hijacked vehicles so far. Within the first quarter of the City’s financial year, we have recorded a 3.15% reduction in burglaries taking place on business premises and a 7.88 % reduction in burglaries taking place at residential properties.
Common robbery also reduced by 3.55 % and the theft of motor vehicles also reduced by 8.39%.
Despite the positive indications so far, there is still a substantial amount of work to be done to ensure that our communities are kept safe. To this end, we have invested in appointing an additional 1500 JMPD trainees who will be a much needed resource to our force to ensure that we gradually win the fight against criminals on our streets.
Although we have capacitated the JMPD’s K9 division, and introduced better equipment, and more powerful cars to the JMPD, the organization is still not capacitated to take full control of crime situations due to restrictions on their powers.
In the coming year I will seek to engage our legislators in order to raise support for a change in local policing, so that local policing units like the JMPD will have their powers and capacity further strengthened.
I want to see the JMPD more closely linked to the criminal justice system, with access to its own detention facilities so that when a criminal is arrested, they aren’t back on the street before the end of the day.
I want to see our municipal courts functioning optimally with competent legal professionals ensuring the rule of law is observed.
Sadly, statistics on assault with the intention to do grievous bodily harm and common assault have increased.
The Department of Public Safety is embarking on a strategy to tackle this problem. A number of these assault cases are the result of domestic violence within private spaces, they are typically recurring with a large number of cases being against women and children.
In order to curb this, we are currently working closely with the City's Health and Social Development Department to ensure that social workers are permanently stationed with their JMPD counterparts in order to provide counselling for women and children.
Furthermore, we are hosting awareness campaigns to educate and inform women on how to protect themselves from assault. I would like to thank our law enforcement authorities and the JMPD for the work which is being done in our communities. By working together, we can make Joburg safer for all.
Cllr Herman Mashaba
Executive Mayor
City of Joburg
For further information contact:
Luyanda Mfeka
Acting Director of Communications
Office of the Executive Mayor
Tel: 011 407 6727
076 171 5978
