Crime against business continues to rise

Crime against businesses, hijackings and theft by force were on the rise in the second quarter of 2018.

This is according to crime-tracking data from April 1 to June 30 provided by Bryte Insurance on Monday.

The insurer started the crime tracker in the second quarter of 2016 and it measures crime trends by studying insurance claims from businesses.

“At 13.51%, the Bryte Crime Tracker indicates a substantial peak in the total incidents of crime perpetrated against businesses in Q2 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 where it reflected a deceleration to 7.73%.”

Crime has increased every quarter since the second quarter of 2017.

“A key contributor to the rising levels of crime may be attributed to the dire socio-economic challenges facing the country, specifically the high unemployment rate which was 27.2% in Q2 2018,” the report said.

“Further exacerbating the situation is the revised GDP growth outlook for 2018, which has now fallen to 0.7% from 1.5%,” the report said.

In the last quarter, hijacking and theft by force increased by 6.8% which was “in stark contrast” to the second quarter of 2016 when it dropped by 16.8%.

“Reports from tracker have stated that every month, approximately 18 hijacking victims are assaulted,” the report said.

According to the police’s 2017/18 crime statistics, there were 16,325 hijackings or 44 per day.

Bryte chief claims officer Cloud Saungweme said violence during hijackings and theft escalated due to drugs and alcohol.

“Substance abuse can desensitise criminals and fuel frustration and hostility. Additionally, drug abusers are more likely to resort to other forms of theft in order to support their drug habits.”

Theft increased over the past four quarters, peaking in the second quarter of this year.

Saungweme said: “The element of surprise is a critical component of successful criminal activities and an emerging trend in this regard is that of fake policing. With police officers commanding a great deal of respect among citizens, criminals are taking advantage of this by impersonating them. They are luring citizens into submission thus, making it easier to rob them or access restricted areas and successfully commit crimes.”

Malicious damage to businesses increased by 20.8% compared to a 15% drop in the second quarter of 2017.

“More and more businesses are installing effective security equipment to protect their premises such as heavy-duty fencing, security doors and shatterproof windows, making it increasingly difficult for criminals to gain access. This has led to more damage to properties as offenders attempt to gain access,” Saungweme said.