Murder rate is down due to poverty alleviation - expert

24 May 2016 - 16:11 By Ernest Mabuza

The country should put more efforts into violence prevention programmes in order to reduce the high levels of murder‚ attempted murder and aggravated robbery‚ a crime expert said on Wednesday. Gareth Newham‚ head of governance‚ crime and justice at the Institute for Security Studies‚ was addressing the Securex in Midrand‚ a security and fire trade exhibition in Midrand on the topic: "Understanding violent crime and what to do about it".These are the South African provinces where you are most likely to be murderedMost murders are not random. Some people are more at risk than others. Lizette Lancaster explains where murder happens, why location matters and what it means for tackling crime.Newham said the country had seen a 55% reduction in the cases of murder between 1996 and 2011.He said this could be ascribed to the rollout of social grants which assisted in poverty reduction and inequality.However‚ “over the last three years‚ we have seen an increase in aggravated robbery‚ attempted murder and murder‚” Newham said.He said the latest police statistics showed that murder had increased by 9%‚ attempted murder by 20% and aggravated robbery by 25% in the past three years.Newham said a police docket analysis for 2009 showed that 65% of murders were as a result of social behaviour where the perpetrator and victim were known to one another. He said only 16% of murders were as a result of criminal behaviour such as robberies.Newham said while the number of police personnel had increased by over 70‚000 in the past 10 years‚ the country had a shortage of 60‚000 social workers.“We should consider having the same number of police members who are well trained‚ and have more social workers to assist in preventing violent behaviour from the young age‚” Newham said.He said violence prevention was the work that needed to be done by social workers‚ teachers and health workers.“We have put all our resources into the police‚ whereas police act once a crime has been committed‚” Newham said.He cited an example of Colombia‚ where the murder rate was 80 murders per 100‚000 people in the 1980s.“While the police numbers remained the same‚ Colombia had 200 initiatives to work with the youth so that they do not become violent.”He said the murder rate in that country was now 18 murders per 100‚000 people.Newham also said the large number of police members were not strategically utilised.He said while the police had searched an increasing number of people in the past few years‚ police should realise they were not trying to police the majority of law-abiding citizens‚ but that they were dealing with five million people who were committing crimes.“We need to withdraw police from generalised patrols‚ to targeted patrols. There are many too large operations and too few targeted operations.”Newham said there had been a change in the police service since the appointment of Acting Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane in October‚ who had made 18 new appointments in key positions. “We have seen big changes.Police realise they have to do something about (the increase in crime). We are cautiously optimistic we will see better policing in the years to come.”..

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.