Somerset West Precinct
How much crime was reported in the Somerset West precinct?
The Somerset West SAPS precinct recorded 3,953 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, down 6.3% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Latest quarter (Apr–Jun 2026): 886 crimes, down 11.7% vs Apr–Jun 2025 (1,003).
Whole-precinct figures, reported crime only, raw counts. Source: SAPS quarterly crime statistics (saps.gov.za), Apr 2025–Mar 2026.
What this data can't tell you
How we handle these →Where within the precinct. SAPS reports one figure for the whole area; all 8 suburbs share it.
Unreported crime. Only crime reported to police is counted, so real incidence is higher.
Crime per resident. Raw counts, no population adjustment — the trend is the steadier signal.
View 8 suburbs in this precinct
All these suburbs share the same crime statistics because SAPS reports data at precinct level.
Reported crimes
3,953
Apr 2025–Mar 2026 · Full year
vs pre-COVID baseline
↓ 19%
below 2018-2019
Updated · SAPS Q1 2026-27 release
Crime breakdown
Top reported offences in 2025-2026, with change vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
| Crime category | Reported count | Change vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial crime | 891 | +27 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 711 | -42 |
| Drug-related crime | 387 | +13 |
| Common assault | 365 | +37 |
| Residential burglary | 296 | -75 |
| Theft from vehicle | 229 | -110 |
| Malicious damage | 198 | -17 |
| Aggravated robbery | 159 | -20 |
| Carjacking | 3 | |
| Truck hijacking | 1 | |
| Robbery at residential premises | 33 | |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 6 | |
| Robbery of cash in transit | 1 | |
| Bank robbery | 0 | |
| Components of aggravated robbery above, already counted in that total. Not additional crimes. | ||
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 138 | +44 |
| Vehicle theft | 54 | -67 |
Crime over time
Reported crimes per SAPS financial year, by category
Crime trend by year
Dashed: Apr–Jun 2026 only (1 of 4 quarters published) — a partial year, not comparable with the full years before it.
Hollow points with dashed lines indicate years with fewer than 4 quarters of data — those totals may be lower because SAPS has not released every quarter.
Over the past decade, crime here has fallen.
The numbers behind that — recent years vs earlier years, averaged to see past a one-year spike
Over ~5 years
→ about the same
avg 23/24–25/26 vs avg 18/19–20/21
Over ~10 years
↓ 28.3%
avg 23/24–25/26 vs avg 13/14–15/16
View full crime breakdown table
| Category | 2025-2026 | 2024-2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial crime | 891 | 864 | +27 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 711 | 753 | -42 |
| Drug-related crime | 387 | 374 | +13 |
| Common assault | 365 | 328 | +37 |
| Residential burglary | 296 | 371 | -75 |
| Theft from vehicle | 229 | 339 | -110 |
| Malicious damage | 198 | 215 | -17 |
| Aggravated robbery | 159 | 179 | -20 |
| Carjacking | 3 | 2 | +1 |
| Truck hijacking | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 33 | 34 | -1 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 6 | 16 | -10 |
| Robbery of cash in transit | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Bank robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Components of aggravated robbery above, already counted in that total. Not additional crimes. SAPS reports these both individually and within the aggravated-robbery figure. | |||
| Serious assault | 141 | 144 | -3 |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 138 | 94 | +44 |
| Shoplifting | 121 | 135 | -14 |
| Business burglary | 62 | 88 | -26 |
| Common robbery | 56 | 77 | -21 |
| Vehicle theft | 54 | 121 | -67 |
| Crimen injuria | 50 | 48 | +2 |
| Rape | 37 | 25 | +12 |
| Sexual assault | 12 | 17 | -5 |
| Murder | 10 | 5 | +5 |
| Culpable homicide | 8 | 5 | +3 |
| Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition | 7 | 3 | +4 |
| Kidnapping | 6 | 8 | -2 |
| Attempted murder | 4 | 10 | -6 |
| Arson | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 3 | 2 | +1 |
| Stock-theft | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| Contact sexual offences | 1 | 4 | -3 |
| Neglect and ill-treatment of children | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Public violence | 1 | 3 | -2 |
| Abduction | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| Sexual offences detected as a result of police action | 0 | 1 | -1 |
Neighbouring police precincts
Precincts sharing a boundary with Somerset West, listed alphabetically
See Somerset West on the national crime map
View this precinct's boundary in context, with a year-by-year timeline back to 2013/14 and every other Western Cape precinct around it.
Open Somerset West on the crime map →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about crime in Somerset West
Check another area
Data Sources & Notes
- Crime data: SAPS quarterly crime statistics
- SAPS data reflects reported crime only. Crime reporting rates vary by area. How much crime goes unreported? →
- This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for safety or property decisions. Full disclaimer
- Full methodology →