REPORT Proceedings of the Crime, Justice and Politics Programme (CJPP) seminar on the release of the third National Victims of Crime Survey (2007) and the launch of the Crime and Justice Information Hub (CJIH)

This report documents the proceedings of a seminar held on 8 May 2008 in Pretoria by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). The event focused on the release of the third National Victims of Crime Survey (2007) and the launch of the Crime and Justice Information Hub (CJIH), featuring presentations on national crime statistics, survey methodology, and a critique of the survey's findings.

• The Crime and Justice Information Hub (CJIH) was launched as a 'one-stop information hub on crime and its solutions,' featuring a 'Situation Room' that utilizes maps, information, and telecommunications technologies to track and analyze national crime trends.
• Official 2006/7 South African Police Services statistics indicated that while the overall crime rate had decreased in recent years, 2006/07 saw a rise in violent crimes. Specifically, business robberies increased by 29.3% and house robberies increased by 7% between 2005/06 and 2006/7. ATM attacks rose significantly from 82 in 2006 to 368 in 2007, although rape fell by 4.2% in the same period.
• The 2007 National Victims of Crime Survey, conducted between October and November 2007 with a sample of 4,500 households across 9 provinces, found that the percentage of respondents experiencing crime in the past 12 months had decreased to 12% since 1998 and 4% since 2003. While corruption, stock theft, and theft out of vehicles decreased, robbery and car theft increased, and housebreaking remained the most common crime.
• Despite declining victimisation levels, public perception of safety in South Africa has worsened. More people in 2007 believed crime was increasing compared to 2003, and respondents reported feeling increasingly unsafe walking alone after dark. Indian respondents were particularly likely to perceive an increase in crime, with only 3% reporting they felt safe walking alone after dark.
• The survey indicated that public confidence in the police and feelings of safety have continued to decline since 2003, despite good access to police services. Additionally, public participation in Community Policing Forums remained as low in 2007 as it was in 2003.
• Independent consultant Antony Altbeker critiqued the survey's methodology, specifically the sample size and the lack of clear delineation between household and individual crime. He argued that the reported doubling of the robbery victimisation rate (from 2% in 2003 to 4% in 2007) was inflated by the inclusion of household figures; excluding them would reduce the increase to a rise from 2% to 2.1%.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2008). REPORT Proceedings of the Crime, Justice and Politics Programme (CJPP) seminar on the release of the third National Victims of Crime Survey (2007) and the launch of the Crime and Justice Information Hub (CJIH). https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/VICSURVSEMREP.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. REPORT Proceedings of the Crime, Justice and Politics Programme (CJPP) seminar on the release of the third National Victims of Crime Survey (2007) and the launch of the Crime and Justice Information Hub (CJIH). 2008. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/VICSURVSEMREP.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=REPORT Proceedings of the Crime, Justice and Politics Programme (CJPP) seminar on the release of the third National Victims of Crime Survey (2007) and the launch of the Crime and Justice Information Hub (CJIH) |date=8 May 2008 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/VICSURVSEMREP.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2008report, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{REPORT Proceedings of the Crime, Justice and Politics Programme (CJPP) seminar on the release of the third National Victims of Crime Survey (2007) and the launch of the Crime and Justice Information Hub (CJIH)}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/VICSURVSEMREP.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }