Murder reduction target missed
2006-09-27 14:25
Johannesburg - Murder, which is considered to be the most reliable indication
of crime trends, has only decreased by two percent in the last
financial year, said a police report on crime statistics,
which was released on Wednesday.
According to the report there were 18 528 murders during the
2005/2006 financial year, which is 2% less than the
previous year, but short of the 7 - 10% reduction
target set by government for contact crimes.
Chris de Kock, head of the crime information centre, explained
that it would be difficult for murder to decrease by 7% over the next few years.
He said most murders were committed by
people who knew their victims.
"No policing can prevent this type of contact crime, we have to
have a police officer in every house to prevent this," De Kock
said.
"The only thing that can prevent this is socio-economic
development."
He said community involvement was also important.
"The community must also do something. It can not only be
expected of police and government to solve these types of crime."
Rapes decreased with only one percent, with 54 926 incidents
being reported.
Indecent assault decreased by 3.7% with 9805
incidents being reported.
The police however did have some success with attempted murder
which decreased by 16.6% and common assault which decreased
by 15.6%.
"The latest decrease in murder, even if only two percent, should
not be regarded as a deviation from the overall downward trend over
the past eleven years, or as an indication that this trend is about
to end," the report stated.
- SAPA