Acting National Commissioner of Police William Dlamini said in 2017 the police handled 42 642 criminal cases and 41 810 criminal cases in the past year.
“The decline is evidently because of the efficiency and effectiveness of the police. The crimes on the downward include armed robbery, car hijackings and house burglary,” the commissioner said.
He said even though the police were faced with acute shortage of operational equipment, they managed to bust 44 crime syndicates which saw them arresting 107 suspects in the process.
“These syndicates were specialising in copper wire and stock theft,” he said.