EL burglars are top of the charts

Burglaries in East London’s suburban homes are the highest in the province, and that is official.

This was revealed in the Bhisho legislature by provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga and her team this week.

The statistics of an average of almost three burglaries a day, were recorded by the Cambridge police station, which serves most of the city’s affluent suburbs, according to Ntshinga’s team.

The station serves Vincent, Nahoon, Stirling, Berea, Bunkers Hill, Selborne and Dorchester Heights.

Cambridge station also covers Amalinda, Summerpride, Dawn and the nearby Cambridge Location.

The provincial police said there were 971 residential burglaries reported from April last year to March this year.

The Dispatch has been reporting allegations from homeowners and security firms that sophisticated syndicates have been targeting these areas.

This is an average of more than 80 reported cases a month.

Ntshinga was reporting to the Bhisho legislature’s safety and liaison portfolio committee meeting on Tuesday for the first time since taking office late last year.

The information was revealed in a top-level This is where provincial police top brass, led by provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga, presented a “crime situational analysis report” presented to the committee chaired by ANC MPL Michael Peter.

Provincial police’s head of crime registry, Brigadier Andre Krause, who delivered the report, said closely following Cambridge with the most house breaking cases reported, was Walmer and Kabega Park police stations in Port Elizabeth had the second-highest number of home burglaries.

Other burglary hotspots were in the areas served by the East London police station, and stations in Grahamstown, Bethelsdorp, King William’s Town, Mdantsane, KwazZakhele, Humewood, Mthatha, Mount Road and Duncan Village, said Krause.

also form part of the top list when it comes to reported house breaking cases, Krause told the legislature.

The Dispatch reported that syndicates were getting into homes protected by alarm systems.

s about the increase in house breaking cases in these East London suburbs, reports which raised speculations that such areas were being targeted by sophisticated crime syndicates.

Most of those burglaries were committed in residential houses that were armed with alarm systems.

However, security companies said the syndicates were able to disarm the alarms before stripping homes of valuables.

making off way with most household valuables.

Krause said Mount Road Police Station in Port Elizabeth, and the East London Police Station, also had suffered the most came tops when it came to reported cases of business burglary.

Some areas around the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM), said Krause said, were notorious for aggravated and common robberies, vehicle theft and attempted murder cases.

This is while Mthatha came out as one of the deadliest areas in the province, topping the list for reported murders and rapes in the period.

For reported murder cases, Mthatha Police Station which recorded 127 cases in the period, is followed closely by Lusikisiki, Bethelsdorp, Kwazakhele, New Brighton, Willowvale, Libode, Ngcobo, Centane, Gelvandale and Ngqeleni, all with 73 reported cases each.

If that was not enough, the police station also has the dubious distinction of recording the highest number of reported rape cases over the same period when compared to other police stations in the province.

A few years ago, Mthatha was unveiled as the “murder capital” of South Africa after their its reported murder cases surpassed all others police stations across the country.

Krause also said a total of 133 murders were linked to the ongoing gang violence in the northern areas of Nelson Mandela Bay during 2016-17.

According to Krause’s report, a total of 239 rape cases were reported at Mthatha police station during that period.

Following closely behind Mthatha when it comes to the number of reported murders are Lusikisiki, Willowvale, Libode, Ngcobo, Centane and Ngqeleni, which each recorded 73 cases.

Krause also said a total of 133 murders were linked to the ongoing gang violence in the northern areas of Nelson Mandela Bay during 2016-17.

For the most reported rape cases, small towns such as Lusikisiki, Ngqeleni, Dutywa, Ngcobo, Mbizana and KwaBhaca (formerly Mount Frere), features prominently in the top 10 list.

According to the report, Ntabankulu Police Station reported the most arson cases with 36 incidents reported in the area during this period.

It is followed closely by Ngqeleni, Mbizana, Ngcobo, Willowvale and EmaXesibeni (formerly Mount Ayliff).

This is while areas such as Qumbu, Bityi, Maluti, KwaBhaca, Mthatha, Alice, Mount Fletcher, Ngcobo, Mbizana, Stutterheim, Tsolo and Ngqamakhwe, experienced the worst stock theft.

made it in the top list of those areas affected by stock theft.

Krause said some areas in the NMBM, including Bethelsdorppolice station, Gelvandale, Kwazakhele, New Brighton and KwaNobuhle, also featured high on the list of reported murders and rapes.

Krause however said: “All serious crimes recorded in the province depicted a marginal increase of 6.5% during the first quarter of 2016-17, an increase of 0.5% in the second quarter, a decrease of 1.54% in the third, and a decrease of 3.12% in the last quarter.”

Mount Road Police Station in Port Elizabeth, and the East London Police Station, Krause said, had the highest number of reported cases of business burglary in the province.

Fourteen police clusters, including Mdantsane cluster, Humansdorp, Mqanduli, Komani, Aliwal North, East London, Grahamstown, Butterworth and Alice, Krause said, depicted increasing trends when it comes to property crimes during the 2016-17 period.

He said Humewood Police Station in the NMBM has recorded 290 cases of vehicle theft, and 1255 cases of theft from motor vehicles, while Mthatha and East London also featured high on that list.

More than 70% of car hijacking cases were recorded in the NMBM, Mthatha had 11.2% of the cases and Buffalo City Metro 9.26% of the reported cases. — asandan@dispatch.co.za

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