Garden Route Crime Insights
What the data reveals for 21 precincts in Garden Route
District Overview
The big picture for Garden Route
Garden Route has 21 police precincts reporting a combined 10,101 crimes in the latest period. Of these, 9 precincts are improving, 11 are worsening, and 1 are stable.
10.1k
Total crimes
9
Improving
11
Worsening
1
Stable
District avg. trend
+2.4%
vs Apr–Jun 2025
Provincial avg. trend
+2.7%
Western Cape average
Source: SAPS quarterly crime statistics, Apr–Jun 2026 vs Apr–Jun 2025. 21 precincts in Garden Route.
Top Improvers & Worseners
Which precincts in Garden Route are moving the most?
Of 21 precincts, 9 saw crime decrease and 11 saw crime increase vs Apr–Jun 2025. Here are the most significant movers.
Five-year trajectories
| Precinct | 5-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Plettenberg Bay | -32.4% | improved |
| Kwanonqaba | -28.9% | improved |
| Oudtshoorn | -25.5% | improved |
| Mossel Bay | -23.3% | improved |
| Da Gamaskop | -22.3% | improved |
| Groot Brakrivier | -11.1% | improved |
| Calitzdorp | -11.1% | improved |
| Conville | -7.2% | improved |
| Heidelberg(C) | -7.1% | improved |
| George | -5.6% | improved |
Source: SAPS quarterly crime statistics. Change vs prior year for 2026-2027 vs 2025-2026. Five-year change compares earliest and latest complete annual periods.
Precinct Rankings
All 21 precincts ranked by total crime
From the quietest to the busiest — every precinct in Garden Route ranked by total reported crime for the latest period.
| # | Precinct | Total | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | De Rust | 114 | ↑25.3% |
| 2 | Calitzdorp | 165 | ↑7.8% |
| 3 | Still Bay | 170 | ↑14.9% |
| 4 | Uniondale | 171 | ↑22.1% |
| 5 | Heidelberg(C) | 222 | ↓14.3% |
| 6 | Groot Brakrivier | 226 | ↑6.1% |
| 7 | Kwanokuthula | 251 | ↓11.3% |
| 8 | Dysselsdorp | 255 | ↑28.1% |
| 9 | Riversdale | 278 | ↑20.9% |
| 10 | Albertinia | 284 | ↓3.1% |
| 11 | Mossel Bay | 302 | ↓12.2% |
| 12 | Ladismith | 311 | ↑3.7% |
| 13 | Plettenberg Bay | 385 | ↓8.1% |
| 14 | Da Gamaskop | 460 | ↓9.6% |
| 15 | Kwanonqaba | 482 | ↓17.3% |
| 16 | Pacaltsdorp | 622 | ↑5.6% |
| 17 | Thembalethu | 766 | ↑6.2% |
| 18 | Conville | 839 | →0.5% |
| 19 | George | 1,156 | ↓9.8% |
| 20 | Oudtshoorn | 1,243 | ↑2.1% |
| 21 | Knysna | 1,399 | ↓6.2% |
Source: SAPS quarterly crime statistics, Apr–Jun 2026 vs Apr–Jun 2025. Ranked by total reported crimes.
Province-wide insights
Western Cape — all 152 precincts
Garden Route overview
All precincts and suburbs
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Data Sources & Methodology
- Crime data: SAPS quarterly crime statistics, publicly available at saps.gov.za
- Analysis covers 21 precincts in Garden Route, Western Cape
- Change vs prior year uses the period: 2026-2027 vs 2025-2026
- COVID recovery compares 2018-2019 (pre-COVID) to 2022-2023 (post-COVID) financial years
- SAPS data reflects reported crime only. Under-reporting varies by area and crime type. How much crime goes unreported? →
- This analysis is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for safety or property decisions. Full disclaimer
- Full methodology →