The Provincial Police Commissioner, Moeketsi Sempe, says the province’s police have managed to reduce 17 community-related crime figures by 21% from over 118 000 in 2009/10 to close to 94 000 instances in 2018/19, despite a growing population. He stresses the importance of crime statistics in affecting policy change and development.
“Does this give us hope? The answer is a resounding yes,” says Sempe. He says there should be hope despite the 3,2% increase in the province’s overall crime rate in the 2018/19 financial year compared to the previous financial year. He says this annual increase could be attributed to a plethora of factors which include the growing profiles of the province’s towns and cities, the diminishing police personnel establishment, the high rate of unemployment, and the difficult environmental factors.
The Free State MEC of Police, Roads, and Transport says 219 police officers will complete their training at police academies throughout the province and be deployed at crime hotspots in the province.
OFM News/OLEBOGENG MOTSE
