Elsies River Precinct
How much crime was reported in the Elsies River precinct?
The Elsies River SAPS precinct recorded 5,197 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, up 9.1% 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 Elsies River precinct area, and all 6 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 Elsies River 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 6 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
5,197
Apr 2025–Mar 2026 · Full year
vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
↑ 9.1%
more crimes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
vs pre-COVID baseline
↓ 9%
below 2018-2019
Updated · SAPS Q4 2025-26 release
Crime in Elsies River rose 9.1% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
What's changing?
Biggest changes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
Malicious damage dropped significantly (-37) while Drug-related crime increased (+359).
Drug-related crime+359
Common robbery+102
Common assault+81
Malicious damage-37
Crime trend by year
Crime breakdown
Top reported offences in 2025-2026
| Crime category | Reported count |
|---|---|
| Drug-related crime | 1,137 |
| Common assault | 704 |
| Malicious damage | 537 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 493 |
| Common robbery | 392 |
| Crimen injuria | 357 |
| Serious assault | 256 |
| Aggravated robbery | 240 |
| Carjacking | 21 |
| Truck hijacking | 2 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 5 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 5 |
| Robbery of cash in transit | 0 |
| Bank robbery | 0 |
| Components of aggravated robbery above, already counted in that total. Not additional crimes. | |
View full crime breakdown table
| Category | 2025-2026 | 2024-2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug-related crime | 1,137 | 778 | +359 |
| Common assault | 704 | 623 | +81 |
| Malicious damage | 537 | 574 | -37 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 493 | 480 | +13 |
| Common robbery | 392 | 290 | +102 |
| Crimen injuria | 357 | 375 | -18 |
| Serious assault | 256 | 256 | 0 |
| Aggravated robbery | 240 | 260 | -20 |
| Carjacking | 21 | 26 | -5 |
| Truck hijacking | 2 | 5 | -3 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 5 | 11 | -6 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 5 | 19 | -14 |
| 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. | |||
| Commercial crime | 231 | 255 | -24 |
| Theft from vehicle | 166 | 201 | -35 |
| Attempted murder | 116 | 121 | -5 |
| Residential burglary | 104 | 97 | +7 |
| Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition | 93 | 77 | +16 |
| Shoplifting | 75 | 68 | +7 |
| Murder | 74 | 92 | -18 |
| Vehicle theft | 54 | 52 | +2 |
| Business burglary | 41 | 55 | -14 |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 34 | 36 | -2 |
| Rape | 24 | 21 | +3 |
| Neglect and ill-treatment of children | 16 | 3 | +13 |
| Public violence | 15 | 4 | +11 |
| Culpable homicide | 13 | 9 | +4 |
| Arson | 7 | 10 | -3 |
| Kidnapping | 7 | 9 | -2 |
| Sexual assault | 7 | 13 | -6 |
| Abduction | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Contact sexual offences | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| Sexual offences detected as a result of police action | 1 | 0 | +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 Elsies River 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 Elsies River on the crime map →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about crime in Elsies River
The Elsies River SAPS precinct recorded 5,197 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, up 9.1% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The largest categories were Drug-related crime (1,137), Common assault (704), Malicious damage (537). These are whole-precinct raw counts of reported crime, not adjusted for population.
The Elsies River SAPS precinct recorded 5,197 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026 — up 9.1% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. 74 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 Elsies River SAPS precinct reported 5,197 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026. Crime is up 9.1% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Crime in the Elsies River SAPS precinct has increased 9.1% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The precinct reported 5,197 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, compared to the same period in the previous financial year.
The most frequently reported crime category in the Elsies River SAPS precinct is Drug-related crime.
The Elsies River SAPS precinct covers: Clarke Estate, Connaught Estate, Elsies River, Eureka, Leonsdale, Matroosfontein. 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 →