It has been a violent payday weekend in the Mother City after the Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) recorded 154 assault cases in just 2 days. This is the highest number recorded in the past month. 16 of these cases were gunshot-related or involved a firearm.
Call agents at the communication centre also dealt with 66 domestic violence cases. The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith says an increase in assault cases is always expected during month-end weekends, but this steep increase is a cause for concern.
“It’s an indication of the level of violence in communities often triggered by alcohol abuse, gender-based violence and lack of respect. This behaviour often spills over to more serious crimes, such as driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding and theft.”
Smith added that while a notable increase was seen in domestic violence cases, which has a negative impact on households, officers can only act if they are informed about these cases.
“We request residents to report any incident that poses a threat to families and the community.”
In total, the PECC received 1,995 calls this past weekend ( 24 – 25 February 2024). 822 were medical-related, 52 were motor vehicle-related accidents and 20 were pedestrian-related accidents.
This comes after the third quarterly Provincial police statistics revealed a significant increase in common assault cases between October 2023 and December 2023, when compared to the same period the previous year.
READ MORE: What is the difference between sexual assault and aggravated assault?
The province recorded 12,150 common assault cases during this period, which is 153 cases more than the previous year. An uptick was also seen in cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm with 7,335 cases reported. 3020 of these cases were inflicted on women and 450 were inflicted on children.
Delft, Mfuleni and Harare have been identified as the top stations in the mother city where cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm are reported.
While sexual assault cases saw a 2.6% decrease, the province still recorded 457 cases during October and December last year.
“Residents are reminded to report any suspicious or criminal activity by phoning the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700 from a cell phone and 107 from a landline.”
