Cape Town - Recent crime statistics reveal a notable decline in home burglaries during the second quarter, highlighting improvements in crime prevention.
In the Western Cape there were 5 982 burglaries between July and September this year, compared to the same period in 2023, where 7 089 were recorded. And there were 14 700 cases of property related crimes recorded which decreased 3 010.
A few suburbs made a shocking appearance in the provincial top 30 stations, Stellenbosch reported an increase of nine more robberies at residential premises. In total 20 homes were robbed in three months.
Burglaries decreased from 130 in 2023 to 116 with the difference of 14.
Stellenbosch Community police forum chairperson Andrè Pelser said one needs to look at statistics with a critical eye.
“I think we are no different to anybody else, we are a popular destination for tourists. We are a target for particularly organised crime, so that is a reality we have to deal with. We are not far from Cape Town, Mbekweni and Khayelitsha, so we're very close to the sources of crime.”
He explained what makes Stellenbosch different is the student population.
“We have about 34 000 students who are soft targets for criminals. We had a tragic incident last month where a student was stabbed in the neck which caused his death.
He said private security has assisted a lot in crime fighting in that they are there when alarms go off.
“I think we are making progress. We rely on surveillance, we have over 400 cameras and 90 licence plate recognition cameras and communication for an immediate response.
Though housebreaking incidents in Sea Point are significantly low the police station ranks at 13 in the province for property related crimes which includes burglary.
There were 238 incidents reported, 106 less incidents compared to 2023.
The Sea Point City Improvement District chairperson Jacques Weber said they continue to struggle with property related crimes such as theft out of vehicles and thefts of belongings.
“In terms of serious crimes such as armed robberies and house invasions we still have extremely low numbers to areas with a similar layout as Sea Point.
“While we have seen a decrease in the presence of Saps, there is an enormous effort from private security companies and Law Enforcement to still ensure high visibility.
“The majority of crimes being reported are happening outside the Sea Point CID area and this has been confirmed by the SAPS Sea Point. They attribute this to the high presence of CID security along main and Regent Road making crime opportunities harder for criminals.”
He further explained that the number of street robberies which have been occurring in the side roads and or beach front are purely opportunistic and the best way to deal with such is through visible policing.
A few kilometres from Sea Point, in Hout Bay, 16 cases of trio crimes, carjacking, robbery at non-residential premises, and robbery at residential premises were reported.
The number includes the robbery with aggravated circumstance case in which four police officers Jacobus Adriaan Groenewald and constables Bradley Dimitri Minnaar, Mthuthuzeli Mafanya and Bathandwa Soldati are linked.
The incident happened on 14 September at a house in Llandudno.
The officers have been applying for bail in Wynberg Magistrate’s Court.
Personal Underwriting at Santam head Marius Kemp said explains the difference between a burglary and robbery.
“While both involve the theft of goods and bring a sense of violation from having someone trespass in your home, a robbery – which entails someone being present in the home – is a truly terrifying ordeal, as not only does the victim need to deal with the financial implications that stem from the loss of or damage to their property, but also the trauma arising from the very real fear that your life was in danger.
“While neither a burglary nor robbery is something that anyone wants to experience, the good news is that there are steps you can take to help mitigate the risk of your home being invaded, as well as the financial loss that is typically associated with theft. Conduct a risk assessment, level up your home security, keep a low profile, ensure that you are covered in the event of theft.”