Crime drops in CBD since Covid
CRIME in the CBD dropped by 56.5% from the onset of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions in March 2020 until March 2021, compared to the same period in 2019-2020.
Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) safety and security manager Muneeb Hendricks said the number of incidents across the CCID’s five top crime categories fell from 1 624 cases to 705 cases in this time frame.
Hendricks attributed the reduction in crime to the CCID’s implementation of a preventative deployment strategy during lockdown, as well as effective collaboration with its primary partners, the SAPS and City of Cape Town Law Enforcement.
The CCID has over 300 public safety officers on patrol 24/7 in its 1.6km² footprint in downtown Cape Town.
When the hard lockdown hit on March 26 last year, the CCID safety and security team were immediately on high alert.
In the first three days, there were seven attempted break-ins, but the team was ready and apprehended all 14 suspects.
As the lockdowns lifted, the team shifted focus to entertainment areas – specifically restaurants and shops.
Hendricks said the biggest crimes seen during level one lockdown were antisocial behaviour.
“Aggressive begging, drug use and drinking in public still dominated.
“Once lockdown eased and more people came back to town, the focus went back to contact crimes, theft out of vehicles and common robbery (which is mostly pickpocketing).”
Comparing March 2019 – March 2020 with March 2020 – March 2021, the CCID safety and security department saw theft reduced by 59%, theft out a motor vehicle reduced by 72%, robberies reduced by 67%, common robberies reduced by 70%, ATM fraud reduced by 95.5%, fighting in public reduced by 56% and a 45% increase in arrests of people in possession of stolen goods.
“With our primary partners , we successfully ran many joint crime prevention operations – which are ongoing – and covered for one another when Covid-19 affected numbers. We’re working together to inculcate a culture of law abidance in the CBD.”
Additionally, the CCID team worked with local business partners to rejuvenate key areas like Long Street, and partnered with the CCID Urban Development team to ensure the city was clean, and with the CCID’s Social Development department to provide support for homeless individuals.
CCID chief executive Tasso Evangelinos said: “Our teams were on the ground, providing visible policing of the Central City, 24/7. We were successful because we swiftly adapted our strategies to meet the new demands in the CBD and worked closely with our primary partners.”