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The Provincial crime statistics for the first three months of the financial year 2022/23 shows an increase of 7% increase in contact crimes.
This was announced during media briefing held by the MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari accompanied by the Acting Head of Department Molefi Morule and Provincial SAPS Commissioner Lieutenant General Sello Kwena in Mahikeng.
Contact crime includes sexual offences, rape and assault cases which are challenging incidents for the police to deal with.
MEC Lehari said contact crime cases are difficult to deal with as they happen behind closed doors because most of victims are being attacked by people who are close to them.
“In these cases perpetrators are those close to the victims. Those are very close people and incidents they happen behind doors and it is unfortunate that police cannot be in every household to prevent such crimes.
We are appealing to people to report crime and not hide criminals. People who commit these heinous crime are our children, our friends, our cousins and generally people known to us.
We cannot turn around and say police are doing nothing when we hide criminals,” said Lehari.
He said the Department has entered into a social compact to ensure that the citizens are safe.
“This compact calls upon us to ensure that the police creates a safe, secure and conducive environment in which all citizens are and feel safe.
We have dedicated a team of men and women in blue who are toiling to ensure safety of our citizens,” said Lehari who emphasised that police alone cannot win the fight without support of citizens.
The MEC outlined plans for the Department to intensify the fight against crime by revitalizing the police forums, continue working with our Non Profit Organisations (NPO’s) that are working with the Department.
Lieutenant General Kwena appealed to communities to report cases and work with police. “We can only succeed if we are all integrated in the fight against crime.”
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