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 2012/2013 crime statistics in Pretoria.

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

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 drunken driving, or driving under the influence of drugs, increased by 1.5%.

– SAPA