The South African Police have released the updated crime statistics for Hout Bay 2003-2011- which you can download at the bottom of this page or directly from the SAPS site www.saps.gov.za
The stats make for a sobering read.
To put the stats into perspective we need to remember that Hout Bay is larger than we often realise- formal households about 12 000 and a conservative population of 35 000 (I have heard not so conservative estimates of 45 000 people- thanks goodness the Census is around the corner!)
When looking at the stats remember to factor that a larger percentage of the crime occurs in the poorer areas, particularly the violent crimes such as murder.
The murder rate is unacceptably high- and I am sure in most cases linked to the substance abuse issues prevalent in the poorer areas. There are two incidents, of which I am aware, of murders that have occured outside of these areas.
Some good news is that the number of residential burglaries has dropped 15% from last year to 538.
Arrest for driving under the influence has hit a new high 162 - which will likely see more roadblocks and demand for taxi services.
Armed robbery has also dropped from last year, and I suspect will drop further due to the arrests of gangs responsible for most of the incidents.
Comparing Hout Bay with other areas is quite interesting in that most stats are quite similar- even though Hout Bay tends to get more publicity for crime.
The stats reiterate the point that we should all be responsible for our own security first. We need to make sure we are not soft targets, and support private security companies as well as organisations like Hout Bay Neighbourhood Watch.
We need to lobby our local politicians to be more effective at closing down illegal shebeens and more particularly drug dens.
Download Crime stats