Gauteng’s overall contact crime decreased by 3%: Police Commissioner

Gauteng police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni reported a 3% decrease in overall contact crime in the province, as announced during a presentation in Sandton, Johannesburg. Mthombeni highlighted the importance of a cooperative effort involving law enforcement, government, businesses, and communities in combating crime. The police recovered 282 firearms, almost 6000 rounds of ammunition, and 144 stolen or hijacked vehicles.

Operation Shanela 2 led to thousands of arrests. Mthombeni noted that contact crime declined by 3%, property-related crime dropped by 2.7%, and gender-based violence and femicide fell by 9.1%. However, he emphasized that attempted murder and assault were still significant concerns. The total number of arrests reached 88,584, with 14,256 being illegal immigrants, 148 for murder, 279 for robberies, 1,649 for assault with intent to cause serious bodily harm, and 1,296 for common assaults.