Numerous factors to blame for SA's high crime stats: Popcru
The multiple spikes in the latest crime statistics show that longstanding vulnerabilities related to the country's crime-fighting efforts need to be improved.
That's what the Police and Prisons Civil Union (Popcru) believes.
It's been reacting to the crime figures for the first quarter of 2021/2022, which revealed that murder, contact crime and rape all increased by more than 60%, between April and June.
READ: Double-digit increases in crimes: Cele
Popcru says despite the recent unrest, the reality is that crimes are seeing an upward trend.
Spokesperson Richard Mamabolo feels the crime stats can also serve as a tool to assist police in conducting operations, planning budgets and allocating resources.
"The fact that we have been seeing minimal reductions of criminal activities over the past five years means that as much as the stated purposes of sharing statistics are clear, their outcomes have not been effectively implemented over the years, possibly due to numerous factors that include the budgetary constraints the SAPS finds itself in.
READ: Lockdown contributed to 'never-seen-before' crime stats: Cele
"Issues of understaffing, the uneven allocation of resources, the shortages of ammunition and training have all been part of the underlying challenges faced."
