Underreported and Distrusted: Insights into South Africa's Lack of Confidence in Law Enforcement
08 Sep 2024
Less than half of South Africa's housebreaking victims report the crime to the police, with many believing that law enforcement won't take action. This insight comes from Statistics South Africa's (Stats SA) 2023/2024 Victims of Crime Report, which used a sample size of 30,000 households across the country.
Housebreaking remains the most prevalent crime, with an estimated 1.5 million incidents affecting around 1.1 million households. Despite this, only 44.1% of victims reported these incidents to the police. Many victims, about 22% of them chose not to report because they believed the police wouldn't do anything. An additional 21% of victims decided to handle the situation themselves.
The survey highlighted that other reasons for not reporting included the belief that the police could do nothing due to a lack of proof, a sense that police involvement wasn't necessary, or a general distrust in law enforcement. This pattern was also observed in home robberies, with only 57.6% of the 263,000 incidents reported. Over the past five years, 2.6 million households experienced housebreaking or burglary, and 459,000 home robberies occurred when victims were present. Alarmingly, weapons were used in 55% of these robberies, with firearms being the most common.
Theft of personal property was another significant issue, with an estimated 1.4 million incidents in 2023/2024. Yet, only 28.5% of these crimes were reported to the police. Street robbery, which affected 443,000 individuals, was reported by less than half of the victims.
The survey also explored how safe South Africans feel in their neighborhoods. While 80.4% felt safe walking alone during the day, only 34.9% felt safe at night. These findings underscore the pervasive sense of insecurity many South Africans experience.
The rise in crime and the lack of confidence in law enforcement highlight the growing importance of alternative security solutions, from advanced home security systems to community safety initiatives. As crime trends evolve, everyone must adapt to meet the increasing demand for effective protection (Read our practical steps to safeguard your home article here).
Sources: News24, Business Live