CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – MARCH 27: A general view of Cape Town CBD on Day 1 of national lockdown on March 27, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa. According to media reports, the national lockdown will be the largest, most complicated and challenging national effort ever recorded in the country?s history, with the government having spent the last three days trying to enact various regulations which will in effect suspend South Africa?s way of life for three weeks. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)
Recent statistics show a 29% decrease in crime in the Cape Town CBD in July this year compared to July last year.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – MARCH 27: A general view of Cape Town CBD on Day 1 of national lockdown on March 27, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa. According to media reports, the national lockdown will be the largest, most complicated and challenging national effort ever recorded in the country?s history, with the government having spent the last three days trying to enact various regulations which will in effect suspend South Africa?s way of life for three weeks. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)
Crime in the Cape Town CBD remains consistently low despite the easing of lockdown restrictions. This is according to statistics released by the Cape Town Central City Improvement District’s (CCID).
In July, a total of 117 incidents of crime were recorded in the Central City by the CCID Safety and Security Department compared with 164 in July 2019. This is a decrease of 29%.
CCID Safety and Security Manager Mo Hendricks said while there has been a slight increase in crime incidents in certain crime categories since the lockdown was instituted, the number of contact crimes has not increased nor have the crimes considered to be a “priority” in the Central City.
“We have seen an increase in crimes such as shoplifting, solicitations, possession of stolen goods and possession of drugs. These are not “priority” crimes in the CBD as the main crimes perpetrated are theft out of motor vehicles, common robbery, breaking into businesses and malicious damage to property,” said Hendricks.
Regarding the “priority” crimes, only 26 incidents were recorded in July 2020 compared with 93 incidents in July 2019. This is a decrease of 72%.
“We have been very successful in apprehending perpetrators of these crimes and, working with our main partner SA Police Services (SAPS), we have managed to maintain low levels of crime in the CBD even though there are many more people in the city centre now than there were during Level 5 of Lockdown. The main problems in the CBD stem from antisocial behaviour in the form of aggressive begging, drug usage in public, homelessness and the erection of illegal structures,” said Hendricks.
With 20 arrests secured by CCID Safety and Security in July 2020 for various offences, Hendricks says the department has been successful in apprehending suspects who commit “policeable crimes”. These are crimes where an increase is only recorded because perpetrators have been arrested and identified.
In this category, in July 2019, there was one incident of possession of stolen goods, two cases of shoplifting and 13 cases of sex work, compared with seven incidents of possession of stolen goods, translating to an increase of 86%, six cases of shoplifting — an increase of 67% and 35 cases of sex work — an increase of 63 % in July 2020.
The Cape Town CBD falls under the ambit of Cape Town Central and is doing well from a crime perspective when compared to other major CBDs in South Africa who have a smaller footprint when it comes to: