8.2% drop in murder in LEAP deployment areas shows more devolved police powers is working.
Today’s Crime Stats release for the 1st Quarter 2022 show that murder continues to come down in those areas where the Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town are deploying LEAP officers, while murder continues to climb alarmingly at a national level.
These localised declines in violent crime where we are intervening is proof positive that the model of more policing powers at a provincial and local level is working.
The station-level stats reveal something very significant: In the Top 30 murder stations in the country, every station (bar one in KZN) where murder is coming down is a LEAP deployment area.
The individual area stats are equally encouraging:
- Mitchells Plain – a 42,9% decline in murder
- Kraaifontein – a 16,4% decline in murder
- Khayelitsha – a 14,3% decline in murder, dropping out of the top 10 and now down to number 16.
- Harare – a 13,8% decline in murder
While there is much more to do, and still far too much violent crime, these stats demonstrate encouraging progress in favour of more policing power for provinces and cities.
That is why we have asked Minister Bheki Cele to (1) fully empower local Metro Police and law enforcement officers with full crime fighting and investigation powers, and (2) devolve the management of SAPS.
Today’s stats show this should proceed, and the Minister should not stand in the way of this happening.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Government.
