Public unhappy with EC police
PUBLIC confidence in the police is decreasing in the Eastern Cape, with close about 40% of the province’s residents not satisfied with the work done by the men and women in blue.
Only 59.8% of households in the Eastern Cape were satisfied with the police in their area, a decrease from 64.7% in the 2014/15 year.
The drop in public confidence was the highest across all provinces.
This is according to the Stats SA Victims of Crime Survey for 2015-16 findings on the Eastern Cape.
Statistics further revealed that 87.7% of households in the province were dissatisfied with the way the police dealt with crime because they did not respond on time.
Households in the Northern Cape, Western Cape and Eastern Cape were more likely to be prevented from going to parks and open spaces by their fear of crime. The survey also revealed that: ● 26.9% of Eastern Cape households were prevented from keeping livestock or poultry by fear of crime – the highest percentage in the country;
● Similarly, 19.9% of households were prevented from investing in or starting a home business by fear of crime. This was also the highest percentage in the country;
● The Eastern Cape had the highest percentage at 34.3%, of households who said perpetrators committed crimes for non-financial motives. Also highest at 90.1% was the share of households who thought that crime was committed because of drug-related needs;
● Only 10.3% of households knew of a shelter or place of safety to take a victim of crime;
● Those who cited a hospital or trauma unit as the favoured place to take a victim were mostly in the Eastern Cape at 80.8%.
● 10.7 % of households in the Eastern Cape never saw the police in uniform and on duty where they live;
● More than 60% of households stated that the most likely time of the day for house burglaries is at night.
Provincial police spokesman Captain Khaya Tonjeni said statistics in the SAPS fall under the competency of the national ministers, who share statistics with the media once a year. —