Murder Increases by 30% in East Johannesburg, South Africa

Murder cases have increased in three out of four police districts in eastern Johannesburg, rising 30% from 136 murders to 177 murders in the last year. The most affected areas are Yeoville, Jeppe, Sandringham and Cleveland.

According to Jack Bloom, DA Johannesburg East Constituency Head, these figures from April-February (2016-17) to April-February (2017-2018) were revealed in an official reply by Gauteng Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane in a written reply to Bloom’s questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

The murder statistics for the four police stations are as follows:

“Of particular concern is the high number of murders in the Jeppe police area which includes Jeppe, Doornfontein, Bez Valley and part of Kensington,” said Bloom in a media statement on Tuesday.

Total contact crimes (crimes against a person) at Jeppe police station have increased from 2520 to 2588 (3% increase), but in some good news, property related crimes declined from 1370 to 1102 (20% decrease).

One of the glaring problems in the area is that despite very high crime figures, the station is short of 43 staff and 8 vehicles!

While Cleveland police station had a small decrease in murders, the attempted murders were up from 42 to 50, and total contact crimes rose from 1050 to 1230 (17% increase), said Bloom.

“There is some progress, however, with a decrease in property related crimes from 833 to 777 (7% decrease),” he said.

Yeoville police station showed progress in reducing contact crimes from 1591 to 1452 (9% decrease), and property related crimes from 820 to 646 (21% decrease). But common robbery increased from 184 to 211 cases (up by 14%) and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs from 230 to 340 cases (48% increase).

Total contact crimes at the Sandringham police station rose by 5% from 584 to 612 cases, but property crimes dropped from 509 to 467 cases (8% decrease). Drug related crimes increased by 37% from 65 to 89 reported cases, and driving under the influence from 247 to 307 cases (24% increase).

Bloom said: “I am concerned that two vehicles are not patrolling round the clock in any of the sectors of the four police stations – the reason given is personnel shortage.”

According to the police reply: “operational members and resources must be deployed in accordance with the crime pattern and threat analysis to perform policing duties in the demarcated sectors to enhance service delivery and does not specify that 2 vehicles are required to be posted in each sector.”

Bloom said the high crime figures in eastern Johannesburg are a wake-up call that present policing methods are not working, and critical gaps in training, staffing and resources should be filled as soon as possible.