Crime in the Cape Town CBD at the height of the busy festive season from 15 November 2024 to 15 January 2025 dropped dramatically – with crimes such as robbery and theft decreasing by over 50 % – compared with the same period in 2023/2024.

This is according to the latest stats released by the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID).

The number of reported crime-related incidents dropped by 34 %, from 406 incidents to 267, says Jurie Bruwer, manager of CCID Safety & Security, with the number of arrests secured by the CCID in the CBD during this period increasing from 110 to 141.

The stats are linked to the department’s strategic three-month festive season crime-prevention plan, which ran from 15 November 2024 to 15 February 2025.
There was a decrease in the following crime categories: shoplifting (by 80 %); common robbery (by 58 %); business break-ins and general theft (both by 50 %); and theft out of motor vehicles (by 27 %).

The following crime categories were unchanged: possession of an illegal substance and being in possession of possible stolen goods.

The CCID provides security services in a 1.6 km² geographical footprint in the CBD to complement those provided by its primary partners (SAPS, City of Cape Town law enforcement agencies and CCID-funded law enforcement officers) to ensure a secure inner city and enhance public safety. It has 323 Public Safety Officers (PSOs) who are deployed in shifts in the CBD 24/7 365 days of the year.

Providing a visible police presence in the bustling inner city is paramount, and during the period under review, joint crime-prevention operations carried out between CCID Safety & Security, and its partners, increased by 52 % – rising from 376 ops to 570, says Bruwer.

Bruwer says the purpose of the CCID’s festive season action plan was to:
•    Identify potential risks that could affect public safety and security in the CBD;
•    Initiate measures to mitigate these through appropriate operations;
•    Initiate collaborative operations with primary partners to ensure public spaces in the CBD remained safe.

“It’s our responsibility to ensure that visitors, residents, people who do business and work in the Cape Town CBD feel safe and secure,” Bruwer says.

Issued by Sharon Sorour-Morris, manager of Communications at the CCID. For queries or to interview Jurie Bruwer, email sharon@capetownccid.org or call 082 216 0835