Crime statistics for the time period of 1 April to 30 June were released on Friday 18 August – and the Goodwood area saw a decline in crime detected because of police action.
It saw a decline in murder with one incident less than last year.
Sexual offences also declined with two counts less than last year. However, attempted murder had three more counts than last year, with one incident reported last year and four this year.
Carjacking has also seen an increase with five more carjacking reports since last year.
Cash in transit
An unanticipated crime reported was the first robbery of cash in transit to be reported since 2019.
According to Capt Wayne Theunis, spokesperson at Goodwood police, the incident occurred on Saturday 10 June at Goodwood Mall, where a cash-in-transit vehicle was attacked by six suspects.
An undisclosed amount of cash was taken and a security officer was shot in the leg. Malicious damage to property increased by 30,6% from 36 incidents in last year to 47 this year.
Commercial crime went from 86 incidents last year to 110 incidents this year.
Crime detected by police down
Another unhoped-for statistic was the kidnapping case that was reported at Goodwood Police Station this year.
Capt Theunis stated that on Friday 5 May a truck delivering cigarettes in Fitzroy Street, Goodwood came under attack and armed suspects took the truck with both occupants in it.
They were later dropped off in Edgemead.
A major concern was the fact that crime detected because of police action had declined by 20,6%.
Capt Theunis explained that due to the increasing number of contact crimes (robberies) Goodwood police placed more emphasis on reducing those crimes rather than addressing crimes detected because of police action (eg possession of drugs).
19 members lost in past year
John Ross, chair of the Goodwood Policing Forum (CPF), said Goodwood police had lost 19 members in the past year with only one new addition. The police are focused on hot-spot areas.
“The growth of the number of vagrants under the N1 bridge, as well as the influx of criminal activity from the settlement at the military base has added to crime,” he said.
According to Ross police resources were stretched to the limit. Neighbourhood-watch groups were really working hard, what with several successful apprehensions.
Ross added the community’s armed response companies had also stepped up.
“Sadly, the moral decay in our society in general adds to the problem,” he said. “I salute the police for their amazing efforts, but without more patrol vehicles out there I cannot see an improvement in the near future.”
