Drug related crimes on the increase
2007-07-12
THE Drakenstein area can heave a sigh of relief, as serious crimes have generally declined during the past year.
According to the latest national statistics which have been released by the SAPS, the Paarl valley is one where most crimes have decreased.
Murders for this area (including Paarl, Wellington, Groot Drakenstein and Saron) have declined by 24%, serious assault by 16% and rape by 8%.
Though this may be an encouraging sign, crimes relating to drugs, especially Tik, have however escalated drastically which proves that drug abuse is rife, especially in Paarl East.
In this area, arrests of people in possession of drugs have increased from 133 in 2001 to 494 over the past year. Wellington and Mbekweni have also seen increases.
But, says a spokesperson for the police, this also shows that many more arrests have also been made for drug-related crimes than in the past.
The Paarl Police station commander, Snr/Supt Mzwandile Tiyo, said that the latest statistics show a major improvement in the combating of crime.
“This does not mean that the police can now sit back, but it encourages all of us to continue the battle against crime and reduce the statistics even more.
“Currently we are focusing on burglaries which is a problem and we urge property owners to be more vigilant.”
“I also urge the public to continue to support the police and to assist us in our duties. We are committed to creating a safer environment for all residents of the Drakenstein to live in.”
Snr/Supt Nelson Govender, Wellington station commander, said that the stats show that the police’s hard work is paying off.
“Unfortunately we are still sitting with the very difficult situation that many of the crimes which are committed are socio-economic. This alone cannot be dealt with by the police, but various organisations within the community must get involved.”
In Paarl East drug related crimes have escalated by 47% and a spokesperson for this station said that the police will be concentrating on wiping out the drug dealers who are responsible for the drug problem spinning out of control.
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