Booze-free zones to cut crime?

2008-08-25 21:10

Johannesburg - Alcohol-free public spaces and businesses not selling alcohol on pay day were suggested at a conference on Monday as ways of reducing crime.

"Make the 24 hours around payday an alcohol free day," said Barbara Holtmann, a research director at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

Holtmann was speaking at the Action for a Safe South Africa conference in Midrand.

Holtmann said that this combined with retailers providing substantial discounts on things like basic foods or school shoes around pay day, could help re-channel the around R41bn a year that was spent on alcohol and alcohol marketing.

After a combination of applause and nervous shuffling had subsided, she said about R16 of every R100 was spent on alcohol. She believed this figure could be higher, with portions of social grants also going to alcohol.

About 47% of murder victims tested positive for alcohol at the time of death, as did 66% of trauma victims, while 50% of rape victims were found to be either drunk or high at the time of their incident, particularly young girls.

"That R41bn is a voluntary spend - we don't need to spend it."

66 guns a day stolen or lost

Questioning the perception that gun ownership could lead to personal safety, she said about 66 firearms a day were lost or stolen from their owners - often in careless ways, like leaving it on a toilet cistern in a public space or having it stolen in public because it was visible.

Police believed that each of these firearms were then used to commit at least eight crimes.

She questioned the increased use of security companies in neighbourhoods and said these had the effect of moving opportunitistic crime to other areas or changing the nature of crime.

Criminals changed their tactics and robbed properties, fully prepared for a gun battle.

The convention, facilitated by Idasa, hoped to explore ways of making the country safer and getting everyone to contribute to this in their daily lives.

The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconcilation said poverty was one of the main contributors to crime.

Lack of parenting skills

Releasing a study on the causes of crime which was commissioned by the Safety and Security Department, centre representative David Bruce said it also highlighted a lack of parenting skills as a contributing factor.

Business Against Crime chairperson Siphiwe Nzimande said businesses was working towards helping make crime "very costly" for perpetrators.

At first they believed police investigators were inefficient when given information they thought would be helpful, like CCTV footage, but found that the quality they provided was too poor to be of any use.

"Sometimes it was just of someone's shoe," he said, adding that improving this resource was one of helping the police.

He said that contrary to belief, most cars stolen in South Africa were not exported to neighbouring countries, but were re-registered in South Africa or sold as parts.

He hoped a new polymer microdot car identification system, which insurers were showing interest in, would reduce car theft and the market for stolen parts.

- SAPA