The six monthly report of the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Firoz Cachalia

Tackling crime in Gauteng between July and December 2007:

1. Introduction

This is the third detailed six-monthly public report on crime in Gauteng since the Gauteng Safety Strategy 2006 to 2014 started being implemented. The strategy provides the Gauteng province with a comprehensive approach to reducing crime through practical initiatives clustered within four key pillars including improving the quality of policing, promoting social crime prevention, strengthening government institutions capacity to understand and intervene in factors causing crime and encouraging community participation through developing a social movement against crime.

The format of this report is as follows: Firstly, it will present an overview of some of the key initiatives implemented since the adoption of the Gauteng Safety Strategy 2006 to 2014 in August of 2006. Secondly, it will provide updated information on the implementation of key elements of the strategy for the period from July to December 2007. Thirdly, it will highlight specific police activities and achievements in combating crime in this period. Fourthly, it will provide an overview of the key crime trends in Gauteng during this last six months of 2007. Finally, it will report on what can be expected during the six month period January to June 2008.

2. Background

July to December 2006

Almost two years ago during the first part of 2006, we identified an upturn in a number of violent crime categories in Gauteng. In consultation with the South African Police Service (SAPS), a high intensity, six-month policing operation called Operation Iron Fist was publicly launched by the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Firoz Cachalia in July 2006. The objective of that operation was to halt the increase in certain crime categories.

At the launch of Operation Iron Fist, the MEC stated that he would publicly report back to the people of Gauteng every six months on the impact of our strategy and police operations in the province. It was explained that this would be done to ensure regular accountability and transparency in our efforts to reduce crime.

At the beginning of 2007, the results of an evaluation of the impact of Operation Iron Fist were publicly presented by the MEC as part of his six-month report back. The evaluation report which was also published March 2007 edition of South African Crime Quarterly Journal published by the Institute for Security Studies. The evaluation found that most of the objectives of the operation had been achieved. For example, police visibility through activities such as patrols, roadblocks and cordon and search operations had improved which led to increase arrest rates. During the period of Operation Iron Fist there were notable reductions in certain crime categories such as burglary, vehicle theft and cash-in-transit heists while hijackings had stabilised.

However, the evaluation also showed that despite the improvements in visible policing, a few specific violent crimes such as residential and business robberies continued to increase. The evaluation therefore recommended that police should focus on improving the targeting of perpetrators in these specific crimes. During the report back, the MEC also announced that the Provincial Government we would launch a broad based campaign to mobilise communities towards developing a grass-roots movement to tackle crime across Gauteng.

January to June 2007

In February 2007, the SAPS launched Operation Trio to intensify their targeting of criminals involved in residential robbery, business robbery and vehicle hijacking. The following month in March of 2007 the Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa and the Department of Community Safety publicly announced the adoption of the Gauteng Safety Strategy 2006 to 2014 and launched the Take Charge Campaign to mobilise communities against crime at the Walter Sisulu Square of Remembrance in Kliptown.

As part of the finalisation of our strategy and in preparation for the launch of the Take Charge Campaign, the Department consulted over 300 organisations working within 11 broad sectors. The launch was considered a significant success as representatives of all political parties in Gauteng, the Provincial Heads of the SAPS and Metropolitan Police Departments and prominent community leaders all signed a pledge to support the Take Charge Campaign to reduce crime. The event was attended by over 11 000 people representing a cross section of safety activists and volunteers from various communities.

In August 2007, the MEC for Community Safety then held his next six-monthly report back for the period for January to June 2007. At this media briefing, he presented facts that demonstrated that the police had further improved their targeting of violent criminals as was reflected in substantial increases in key policing activities and arrests rates for all categories of violent crimes. Further details about the rollout of the Take Charge Campaign were also highlighted and a comprehensive report on the crime trends in Gauteng was presented. At that time, the MEC stated then that he was cautiously optimistic as there was evidence that the collective efforts in Gauteng had started to turn the tide against crime.

3. What was achieved between July and December 2007

3.1 The Take Charge Campaign

As you may recall, the President during his State of the Nation speech on 8 February 2008 stated that, "our success in the fight against crime depends on co-operation among all of us as law-abiding citizens". The Take Charge Campaign has been implemented to give practical expression to this important success factor for reducing crime. Through our efforts in implementing the campaign, approximately 20 000 people have been directly mobilised and we now have a substantial grass roots movement working systematically to reduce crime across Gauteng.

The Take Charge Campaign consists of a number of practical programmes and initiatives. One of the programmes is to strengthen community policing structures throughout the province. An assessment of 105 Community Policing Forums (CPFs) was done to determine the extent to which these important community based structures were adhering to minimum standards for sustainability.

This led to 20 CPFs being revived and re-established including those in Alexandra, Atteridgeville, Daveyton, De Barrage, Diepkloof, Eesterus, Ekangala, Hillbrow, Ivory Park, Katlehong, Kempton Park, Kliptown, Naledi, Orange Farms, Protea Glen, Putfontein, Rabie Ridge Reiger Park, Sharpville and Silverton. Training by the University of Pretoria was also provided to 157 Executive Members from 39 CPFs.

As part of our community focus, the Department is also in the process of assisting CPFs to develop precinct based Community Safety Plans (CSPs). Communities are directly involved in developing the plans through identifying specific safety challenges and concerns in their areas that require action. The process of developing these plans has been started in Diepsloot, Katlehong, Munsieville, Orange Farm, Tshepisong and Vosloorus.

A key programme within the Take Charge Campaign is the establishment and deployment of sustainable Community Patrol Groups. To date 1 640 patrollers have been screened, registered, trained, equipped and deployed at crime hot-spots in 26 communities across Gauteng. Our approach to community mobilisation and volunteerism in Gauteng is one that seeks to strengthen communities through building social capital. Those people that volunteer for our Community Patroller Programme or to hold executive positions in our CPFs will receive accredited training and support that will enable them to make a sustainable contribution to their communities.

3.2 Improving the quality of policing

During the last six months of 2007, there was further development of the Gauteng Information on Police Performance System (GIPPS). This system is based on information from various police databases and allows us to track different categories of violent crime across each of the 130 police precincts in Gauteng on a monthly basis. Furthermore, it allows us to monitor the efficiency rating of each police station according to the SAPS Police Station Performance Chart. We are also able to monitor the provincial case flow for 11 serious violent crime categories from the arrest of criminal suspects to the finalisation of cases by the courts on a monthly basis.

A new feature of the system was the introduction of a systematic programme of review of Police Station performance across the province. Through analysing information on our GIPPS database we are able to identify police stations that are experiencing increases in violent crime or deterioration in performance on a month-to-month basis. In November 2007 we piloted the GIPPS Police Station Performance Review programme for the first time. A station performance review meeting was held between the MEC, the Department of Community Safety, Gauteng SAPS Provincial Management and the management teams led by the Station Commissioners of five high crime police stations. The first stations to be reviewed included Bramely, Honeydew, Midrand, Sandton and Wierdabrug.

3.3. Police activity in combating crime

During the period of July to December 2007 the Gauteng police have been hard at work combating crime and targeting criminals. The following information provides some idea of the scale of activity that was taken in the province:
* 134 514 calls for assistance were attended to
* 7 055 roadblocks
* 5 315 cordon and search operations were held
* 3 352 suspect raids were undertaken
* 623 019 vehicles were searched
* 1 247 313 people were searched.

As a result of these activities:
* 5 873 firearms were recovered; and
* 1 974 stolen or hijacked vehicles were recovered.

The police also made a total of 232 212 arrests for all crimes. This represents an increase of 6,2% or an additional 13 340 arrests compared to the same time period the previous year. A total of 34 036 arrests were made for all violent contact crimes between July and December 2007. This represents an overall increase of 10% compared to the same period in 2006.

Table 1 below presents the numbers of arrests and the percentage change for seven primary violence contact crime categories when compared to the same time period during 2006. These figures demonstrate that the Gauteng police are continually improving their ability to target and arrest perpetrators of serious violent crime.

Table 1: Violent Contact Crime Category Arrests for July to December 2007 compared with July to December 2006.

Crime category: Murder
No. of arrests: 1 297
No. of change: +126
%Change: +10,8

Crime category: Attempted murder
No. of arrests: 897
No. of change: -86
%Change: - 8,7

Crime category: Rape:
No. of arrests: 2 248
No. of change: +79
%Change: +3,6%

Crime category: Aggravated robbery
No. of arrests: 3 118
No. of Change: +366
%Change: +13,3

Crime category: Common Robbery
No. of arrests: 2 845
No. of change: +354
%Change: +14,2

Crime category: Assault GBH
No. of arrests: 14 346
No. of change: +444
%Change: +3,2%

Crime category: Common Assault
Aggravated robbery:
No. of arrests: 8 946
No. of change: +885
%Change: +11%

Table 2 below presents the numbers of arrests and percentage change when compared to the same time period in 2006 for crimes targeted by Operation Trio.

Table 2: Operation Trio Crime Category Arrests for July to December 2007 compared with July to December 2006.

Crime category: Residential robbery
No. of arrests: 755
No. of change: +189
% Change: +33,4%

Crime category: Business robbery
No. of arrests: 311
No. of change: +174
% Change: +137%

Crime category: Vehicle hijacking
No. of arrests: 414
No. of change: +122+
% Change: 44,7%

4. Gauteng crime trends for July to December 2007

The latest official crime statistics were released by the national Minister of Safety and Security at the end of 2007. These statistics reflected the crime trends for April to September 2007 when compared to the same time period in 2006. These statistics are attached to this media statement as an annexure for your information.

As the National Minister has not yet released statistics for the period October to December 2007, I will only be providing information on the trends rather than the specific statistics for the last six months of 2007. You will be able to confirm what is presented here when the crime statistics are next officially released.

The total number of 'Category A crimes', consisting of 18 crime categories ranging from murder to shoplifting continued to decline at a marginal rate during the six-month review period. However, decreases were recorded in all broad categories of violent contact crime and three of the six sub-categories of aggravated robbery.

Violent contact crime

During the last six months of 2007, 61% of all Gauteng policing precincts recorded a decrease in the total amount of violent crime compared to the previous year. All broad categories of violent contact crime decreased in Gauteng as a whole during this period. The following five out of eight broad violent contact crime categories decreased within the target range of between seven percent and ten percent which has been set for violent contact crimes when compared to the same time period the previous year:
* murder
* attempted murder
* rape and attempted rape
* total Aggravated robbery
* common robbery.

The following violent contact crime categories also recorded decreases but not within the targeted range:
* assault GBH,
* common assault
* indecent assault.

Three of the six sub categories decreased during the last six months of 2007. The following sub-categories of aggravated robbery recorded decreases exceeding the targeted range:
* cash-in-transit heists
* bank robberies.

The following sub-category of aggravated robbery recorded a decrease but not within the targeted range:
* residential robbery.

The following sub-category of robbery recorded a marginal increase:
* vehicle hijacking.

The following sub-categories of aggravated robbery recorded increases but at a substantially lower rate than the previous year:
* business robberies
* truck hijackings.

Property related crime

Total numbers of property related crime decreased marginally during the July to December 2007. Decreases were recorded in the following four categories of property related crime:
* general theft
* theft of motor-vehicles
* theft out of motor-vehicles
* residential burglary.

Recorded cases of 'commercial crime' stabilised while increases were recorded in the following property related crimes:
* shoplifting
* business burglary.

The Gauteng crime trends for 2007 are largely corroborated by the trends released by the short-term insurance companies Mutual and Federal and South Africa Eagle as reported in the Business Day on Tuesday 19 February 2008. These insurance companies state that they had experienced a decrease in the numbers of claims for motor vehicle theft and hijacking and while claims for residential robberies had remained stable. Although the statistics captured by insurance companies only relate to their clients, they are a useful measure to corroborate overall trends in certain crime categories over time.

Nevertheless, statistics are only a broad indicator of our progress or otherwise against various crime categories. Final judgements as to whether or not Gauteng is a safer place can only be as a result of peoples experiences in the communities where they live.

5. The way forward for January to June 2008

When looking back to the crime situation 18 months ago when 'Operation Iron Fist' was launched, there is little doubt that progress has been made. The increases that occurred in 2006 have been halted and most crime categories are showing consistently decreasing trends. This strongly suggests that the crime reduction initiatives undertaken by the Provincial and Local governments, the South African Police Services, the Metropolitan Police Departments, the various communities, the various sectors including the media, business organisations, faith based organisations and civil society as a whole, have started to make a positive impact on crime.

Nevertheless, as we are coming off of a high base, our crime rate is still unacceptably high and it will take time before we achieve adequate levels of safety. We cannot rest while children and law-abiding women and men continue to be murdered or attacked in their homes, their schools, their places of work or in public spaces by heartless violent criminals. Our deepest sympathies go out to those who have fallen victim to the criminal elements that continue to pose a threat to us all.

We cannot ignore your pain and suffering and we will strengthen our resolve to improve our efforts and continually introduce new anti-crime measures until we are all satisfied that we have achieved a level of safety that we deserve. In the first six months of this year we will be involved in a number of initiatives to improve on the progress that has been made so far.

5.1 The Take Charge Campaign

On 10 March this year the department will be hosting an event to further intensify the mobilisation of communities and sectors to become part of the Take Charge Campaign. Further consultation will be held with the various sectors and communities that have joined the movement to assess the progress that has been made since the launch last year and to chart the way forward. We will also be holding a specific summit with the Gauteng Taxi Associations to work out the details of their involvement in the Take Charge Campaign and we will be rolling out a plan of action in partnership with Hostel Indunas in the province.

The Department of Community Safety will also be providing further training to the Executive members of Community Police Forums and during March a process for restructuring the Provincial CPF Board will commence. Further recruitment, screening, training of Community Patrollers will take place with the objective of having 4000 patrollers deployed at crime "hot-spots" across the province by March 2009. This patroller programme is fully funded throughout the next MTEF period as was demonstrated in the recent announcement of the Provincial Budget.

5.2 Improving the quality of policing

We will continue developing the Gauteng Information on Police Performance and by June of this year we are aiming to have reviewed the performance and improvement plans of the 30 police stations that record approximately 50% of all the violent crime in Gauteng. This will enable us to systematically work towards improving the performance of each high crime police station across the province.

During the last quarter of 2007, a Gauteng SAPS Aggravated Robbery Strategy was developed to improve the overall functioning of the police in tackling robbery. The objective of this strategy is to focus and support all policing structures and components on the identification, arrest, investigation and prosecution of criminal syndicates and individuals involved in residential robberies, business robberies, vehicle hijacking, truck hijacking, cash-in-transit robbery and Bank robberies. This strategy will start being implemented by June and will be supported by the Gauteng Crime Management Centre.

In September 2007 a Task Team was established to set up a Gauteng Crime Management Centre. The objective of this centre is to substantially strengthen the strategic capacity of the Provincial SAPS Head Quarters to co-ordinate, support and monitor information and investigations relating to priority violent crimes in the province. By June 2008 this centre will be fully operational and should further enhance the capacity of the Gauteng SAPS Provincial Headquarters to co-ordinate operations and investigations against violent criminals across the province. The Gauteng Department of Community Safety GIPPS system will assist us in monitoring the impact of the Centre on policing and crime in Gauteng.

Criminals use our roads to move around and commit crimes and it is important that we narrow the public space available to them. New technology is currently available to substantially improve the policing of public roads. During the next six months we will be implementing a project in partnership with Business Against Crime (BAC), to expand the use and availability of this technology in Gauteng.

During the Presidents State of the Nation Address, he announced that "Cabinet has agreed on a set of changes that are required to establish a new, modernised, efficient and transformed criminal justice system." During the next six months we will also be initiating a project to that will support this objective in Gauteng. More details will be made available at the next six-month briefing.

5.3 Addressing structural challenges to policing

Many improvements have taken place within the SAPS and the recent announcement about their substantial budget increase very welcome. However, increases in then numbers of police officers and resources will not in themselves necessarily lead to improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency of the police service as a whole. There are clear structural challenges need to be addressed if we are to dramatically improve policing in South Africa.

An example of such a challenge can be found in the Gauteng Premiers State of the Province speech, where he highlighted the need for "improved co-ordination across spheres of government and law enforcement agencies." We support this call as the Provincial Government has Constitutional Mandate and therefore a significant role to play in determining the needs and priorities of the police in each province. We therefore need to find a way to better align the policy making and budget process of the SAPS with provincial and local governments. This is particularly important if we are to adequately address the increasing demands on the police as a result of the rapidly growing population in the Gauteng province.

We believe that the time is right to open a debate about how to consolidate the gains we have made over the past decade of police reform and to ensure further transformation of the SAPS to even greater levels of professionalism and effectiveness.

6. Conclusion

A lot of work has been undertaken since the adoption of the Gauteng Safety Strategy 2006 to 2014 in 2006. The people of Gauteng have shown that we are willing to stand up and take charge of acting against crime I must thank all the community volunteers that work in our Community Police Forums, those that have joined our patroller programme and all those people that have become involved in lawful initiatives to improve safety in their communities. I must also thank our Provincial Commissioner and his provincial management team, the Station Commissioners and all the police members who have work hard to combat crime in our province.

I believe that with the continued support of our various communities and the consistent implementation of our Provincial Safety Strategy that we will ultimately prevail in achieving our objective of safer Gauteng. Together we can beat crime!

Thank you.

Issued by: Department of Community Safety, Gauteng Provincial Government
3 March 2008