The numbers
The following were the findings of the South African Police Service’s national crime statistics for the year 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010. All figures are given for the ratio of incidents per 100 000 of the population, except for the six aggravated robbery sub-categories, for which these statistics were not provided. Instead, real figures are quoted for these six sub-categories.
Contact crimes
- Common assault +1.0% (down 29.8% since 2004/05)
- Common robbery -4.1% (down 39.8% since 2004/05)
- Total sexual offenses -4.4% (up 3.4% since 2004/05)
- Assault GBH -0.5% (down 21.1% since 2004/05)
- Attempted murder -6.1% (down 42.1% since 2004/05)
- Aggravated robbery -7.5% (down 14.9% since 2004/05)
- Murder -8.6% (down 15.1% since 2004/05)
Aggravated robbery is divided into six sub-categories:
- Carjacking -6.8%
- Truckjacking -1.7%
- Robbery at residential premises +1.9%
- Robbery at business premises +4.4%
- Cash-in-transit robbery -7.3%
- Bank robbery -8.8%
Contact-related crime
- Malicious damage to property -2.9%
- Arson -3.5%
Property-related crime
- Theft out of or from motor vehicles +8.9%
- Theft of motor vehicles -6.7%
- Stock theft -6.5%
- Burglary at residential premises +2.7%
- Burglary at business premises +1.2%
Crime detected as a result of police action
- llegal possession of firearms and ammunition -2.4%
- Drug-related crime +13.6%
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs +10.6%
Other serious crime
- All theft not mentioned elsewhere -8.0%
- Commercial crime +8.1%
- Shoplifting +8.3%
