More than 1,400 people were murdered in Gauteng between January and March this year.
Gauteng police commissioner Elias Mawela revealed the staggering figure during the community safety portfolio committee’s sitting in Randburg.
The release of the province’s crime statistics for the fourth quarter of 2021/2022 come amid heightened concerns from residents who feel that there is a lack of visible policing and slowed responses to crime.
Mawela told the committee that the murders reported during this period account for an increase of 45%.
He said mass killings in parts of the province, including Kagiso on the West Rand, were worrying law enforcement.
“Further opportunity for criminality was also created by the long trading and operating hours for on-consumption liquor outlets – which added its unique contributions to substance abuse. Furthermore, the increase of public and private parties also requires the diversion of police resources to attend to complaints of public disturbance due to the abuse of alcohol which remains one of the contributors to crime,” explained Mawela on Tuesday.
Mawela admitted that the figures are a big disappointment, adding alcohol had a large part to play.
-EWN
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