Crime statistics will only be of real value if released on a monthly basis, Western Cape community safety MEC Dan Plato said.
|||Cape Town - Crime statistics will only be of real value if released on a monthly basis, Western Cape community safety MEC Dan Plato said on Thursday.
“Criminals adjust their behaviour to avoid being caught, but communities could react appropriately and take the necessary preventative measures if they were aware of immediate shifts in crime patterns,” he said.
Monthly stats would allow for a better allocation of resources to where they were needed and would increase support given to the SA Police Service (SAPS).
While the provincial government had no operational control over the criminal justice system, it had implemented a number of programmes aimed at safety and security.
Two such interventions were the Community Safety Act, to improve police oversight, and the commission of inquiry into policing in Khayelitsha, in Cape Town.
Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa released the 2012/13 crime statistics in Pretoria on Thursday.
Plato said he was still analysing the stats for the province, but was concerned by the increase in the number of murders, attempted murder, drug crimes, and house robberies.
“We know that alcohol abuse plays a major role in increased levels of violence and murder Ä the police need to close down the thousands of illegal shebeens as a matter of urgency,” he said.
“I have also repeatedly called on the SAPS to introduce specialised policing units to deal with gangs and drugs in the province.”
Sapa