We need up-to-date crime stats, not out-of-date ones

The national annual crime statistics were released on Friday reflecting more of the same: an increase in the murder rate by 1.4%, a 1.7% a rise in sexual offences and a 2.8% hike in armed robbery. At the release of the figures, police minister Bheki Cele optimistically said the large increases in previous years were being arrested, and that the figures indicated an approaching stabilisation of the country’s crime rate. The figures presented have been reported from station level and appear on the police’s website. They inform us of crime trends in our neighbourhoods and enable us to better protect ourselves. But they are already four months old.

The figures released this week were gathered between April last year and the end of March this year. There is no indication of how the lockdown has affected the various categories of crime.

While there is anecdotal evidence to support Cele’s repeated claims that the ban on the sale of alcohol has reduced the levels of certain crimes — among these murder and assault — there are no available statistics in the public domain to support the minister’s contention.

This situation also has life-and-death implications. We have been told that domestic violence rates have increased during the lockdown, but no way of determining whether any of this is indeed true.

This is why Cele’s announcement is to be welcomed that crime statistics will, from now on, be released every three months.

Statistics compiled by the reliable Stats SA will be made available to South Africans eager to learn about crime trends in their neighbourhoods, and who will now be able to make informed decisions about their safety.

Previously, the ANC-led government decided to release the statistics only once a year, believing that the shock figures were a political stick to beat the party.

Hopefully this nonsense is now a thing of the past. Good information can be used to make good choices. The public deserves nothing less.