Pretoria – The number of aggravated robberies increased by 1.2% over the past financial year, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Thursday.

 

However, there were still 29.7% fewer of these crimes than nine years ago and 18.7% less than four years ago, Mthethwa said at the release of the 2012/13 crime statistics in Pretoria.

 

Residential burglaries increased by 3.3% in the past financial year, and non-residential burglaries by 1.7%.

 

He said common robbery decreased by 2.2% over the reporting period.

 

“The role of the community in supplying the necessary information and the patrols of the streets has drastically reduced possibilities of this crime,” he said.

 

“This is corroborated by swift arrests that have been affected.”

 

Mthethwa said shoplifting had decreased by 3.9% over the same period.

 

There were also decreases in robberies at non-residential premises, by 0.6%, in cash-in-transit robberies, by 20.3%, and bank robberies, by 80%.

 

In the 2012/2013 financial year:

 

– theft out of motor vehicles increased by 3.6%;

 

– commercial crimes increased by 0.6%;

 

– car hijacking increased by 5.4%;

 

– robbery at residential premises increased by 3.6%;

 

– truck hijacking increased by 14.9%;

 

– drug-related crime increased by 13.5%; and

 

– cases of drunk driving, or driving under the influence of drugs, increased by 1.5%.

 

Mthethwa said there was an 18% decrease in ATM bombings, from 261 cases in 2011/12 to 214 in 2012/13.

 

Arson decreased by 8.7% over the reporting period.

 

“Advancement in technology on individual dwellings, the improvement of the infrastructure to reduce informal housing, as well as electricity roll-outs have also assisted in reducing this crime,” Mthethwa said.

 

There was a 4.1% decrease in malicious damage to property and a 4.4% decrease in the theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles.

Sapa