Cape Town Central Precinct
City of Cape Town|14 suburbs
How much crime was reported in the Cape Town Central precinct?
The Cape Town Central SAPS precinct recorded 16,722 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, roughly unchanged vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Very High volume for Western Cape
Largest categories
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
- Exactly where in the precinct crimes happened. SAPS reports crime per police precinct. These figures cover the whole Cape Town Central precinct area, and all 14 suburbs in it share them.
- Crime that was never reported. SAPS counts crimes reported to the police. Not all crime is reported, so actual incidence is higher. Reporting rates also vary by area and crime type, so there is no reliable way to correct for it. How we handle this →
- How crime compares per resident. These are raw counts with no population adjustment. Precincts serving more people naturally record more crimes. The trend over time, which compares this precinct against its own history, is the more reliable signal.
See how Cape Town Central compares to other Western Cape precincts vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025 → Crime by precinct in City of Cape Town → See how Cape Town suburbs rank →
View 14 suburbs in this precinct
All these suburbs share the same crime statistics because SAPS reports data at precinct level.
Crime volume
Very High
in Western Cape
Reported crimes
16,722
Apr 2025–Mar 2026 · Full year
vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
→ 0.1%
no change vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
vs pre-COVID baseline
↑ 2.8%
above 2018-2019
Updated · SAPS Q4 2025-26 release
Crime in Cape Town Central has been relatively stable vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025 (within ±2%).
What's changing?
Biggest changes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
All theft not mentioned elsewhere dropped significantly (-625) while Drug-related crime increased (+1624).
Drug-related crime+1624
All theft not mentioned elsewhere-625
Theft from vehicle-607
Aggravated robbery-217
Crime trend by year
Crime breakdown
Top reported offences in 2025-2026
| Crime category | Reported count |
|---|---|
| Drug-related crime | 5,840 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 3,277 |
| Theft from vehicle | 1,871 |
| Commercial crime | 1,471 |
| Common robbery | 1,428 |
| Common assault | 643 |
| Aggravated robbery | 516 |
| Carjacking | 16 |
| Truck hijacking | 0 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 5 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 9 |
| Robbery of cash in transit | 0 |
| Bank robbery | 0 |
| Components of aggravated robbery above, already counted in that total. Not additional crimes. | |
| Shoplifting | 311 |
View full crime breakdown table
| Category | 2025-2026 | 2024-2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug-related crime | 5,840 | 4,216 | +1624 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 3,277 | 3,902 | -625 |
| Theft from vehicle | 1,871 | 2,478 | -607 |
| Commercial crime | 1,471 | 1,448 | +23 |
| Common robbery | 1,428 | 1,459 | -31 |
| Common assault | 643 | 677 | -34 |
| Aggravated robbery | 516 | 733 | -217 |
| Carjacking | 16 | 23 | -7 |
| Truck hijacking | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 5 | 13 | -8 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 9 | 10 | -1 |
| Robbery of cash in transit | 0 | 0 | 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. | |||
| Shoplifting | 311 | 418 | -107 |
| Malicious damage | 287 | 289 | -2 |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 237 | 154 | +83 |
| Residential burglary | 206 | 330 | -124 |
| Vehicle theft | 155 | 168 | -13 |
| Serious assault | 118 | 128 | -10 |
| Business burglary | 93 | 136 | -43 |
| Crimen injuria | 90 | 55 | +35 |
| Rape | 69 | 60 | +9 |
| Sexual assault | 32 | 21 | +11 |
| Attempted murder | 18 | 8 | +10 |
| Kidnapping | 18 | 12 | +6 |
| Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition | 16 | 15 | +1 |
| Culpable homicide | 7 | 6 | +1 |
| Murder | 7 | 11 | -4 |
| Contact sexual offences | 6 | 2 | +4 |
| Arson | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Sexual offences detected as a result of police action | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Abduction | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 0 | 3 | -3 |
| Neglect and ill-treatment of children | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| Public violence | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Stock-theft | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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Compare with nearby areas
Other precincts in City of Cape Town
Sorted by total reported crimes (lowest first)
See Cape Town Central 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 Cape Town Central on the crime map →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about crime in Cape Town Central
The Cape Town Central SAPS precinct recorded 16,722 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, roughly stable vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The largest categories were Drug-related crime (5,840), All theft not mentioned elsewhere (3,277), Theft from vehicle (1,871). These are whole-precinct raw counts of reported crime, not adjusted for population.
The Cape Town Central SAPS precinct recorded 16,722 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026 — roughly stable vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. 7 murders were reported. It sits in the "Very High" crime-volume tier for Western Cape precincts. SafeSuburb presents SAPS figures as published — we do not rate precincts safe or unsafe. SAPS reports crime at precinct level, not per suburb, so every suburb in this precinct shares the same data.
The Cape Town Central SAPS precinct reported 16,722 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026. Crime is roughly stable vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Crime in the Cape Town Central SAPS precinct has remained broadly stable (within ±2%) vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The precinct reported 16,722 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, compared to the same period in the previous financial year.
The most frequently reported crime category in the Cape Town Central SAPS precinct is Drug-related crime.
The Cape Town Central SAPS precinct covers: Bo-Kaap, Cape Town CBD, De Waterkant, Devils Peak Estate, Foreshore, Gardens, Higgovale, Oranjezicht, Schotsche Kloof, Tamboerskloof, University Estate, Vredehoek, Walmer Estate, Zonnebloem. All these suburbs share the same crime statistics because SAPS reports data at precinct level, not per suburb.
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 →