MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Da Gamaskop and KwaNonqaba police stations have both made the provincial top 30 list for the amount of certain crimes reported at each between January and March this year.

While both stations have seen increases in some crimes reported to them, there has been a general decrease in the overall crimes reported in the greater Mossel Bay region.

The national fourth-quarter crime statistics were released last Friday, showing the numbers of crimes in various categories in comparison with previous years.

Da Gamaskop ranked 25th in the province for the number of attempted murders reported at the station. This year, 14 attempted murders were reported between January and March, seven counts higher than last year’s fourth quarter.

Worcester was ranked number one in the province and fifth in the country with a total of 63 attempted murder cases. Harare, Kraaifontein and Robertson police stations also reported 14 attempted murders during this year’s fourth quarter.

Da Gamaskop also ranked 28th in the province for burglaries at non-residential premises, there being 12 reported cases this quarter, two cases lower than the previous one. It came 29th in the province for its 24 reported crimen injuria cases, which was the same as last year’s fourth quarter.

The station saw an increase of three cases in culpable homicide matters, the total number for this quarter being five. This resulted in the station ranking 10th in the province in this crime category.

The KwaNonqaba Police Station ranked third in the province for its six cases of robbery at a non-residential premises reported between January and March this year, a whole six higher than last quarter. Lwandle Police Station ranked first in the province with eight cases reported in those three months.

Da Gamaskop
While this station saw an increase in the number of murders and attempted murders reported in the fourth quarter, other contact crimes such as sexual offences, assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm (assault GBH), common assault, common robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances all decreased from last year’s fourth quarter. In total, the station saw a 33.8% drop in the number of contact crimes reported.

It also saw a slight drop in the number of contact-related crimes reported (arson and malicious damage to property) and a 31% decrease in property-related crimes. This category includes burglaries at residential and non-residential premises, theft of and theft out of a motor vehicle, and stock theft.

There was a 40.2% decrease in other serious crimes such as commercial crime, shoplifting and all theft not mentioned elsewhere.

Crimes detected as a result of police action, such as the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, drug-related crimes, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and sexual offences detected as a result of police action decreased by 13%.

Great Brak River
This station also saw a substantial drop of 30.1% in the number of contact crimes reported to it. No sexual offences were reported at all between January and March, and the contact-related cases dropped by eight counts.

Property-related crimes increased by four counts, namely burglary at a residential premises going from 17 last year to 18 this year, and theft out of or from a motor vehicle increasing from two last year to seven this year.

Its other serious crimes dropped by 15.9%, while its cases of crimes detected as a result of police action rose by 14 counts. Drug-related crime went up by 20 counts, sitting at 29 compared with last year’s fourth quarter’s nine cases.

KwaNonqaba
While this station’s contact-related crimes are 5.8% higher than last year’s fourth quarter, the number or murders, sexual offences, common robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances all decreased. 

Assault GBH rose from 48 cases last year to 60 cases this year and common assault increased from 110 to 122. The station's contact-related crimes decreased by 13 counts, and its property-related crimes dropped by 37.6%.

Other serious crimes rose by 2.4% and crimes detected as a result of police action decreased by 39.2%. This included drug-related crimes, which saw 122 cases reported last year between January and March and 70 cases reported this year.

Mossel Bay
This station’s contact crimes dropped by 11 counts, going from 44 in last year’s fourth quarter to 33 this year. Contact-related crimes dropped by five counts and property-related crimes decreased from 45 last year to 23 cases this year.

The number of cases for other serious crimes also dropped by 26.5%, while crimes detected as a result of police action rose by 42.7%. This included cases of drug-related crimes, which increased from 57 to 120.

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