The festive season is finally here, and people have already started travelling to their respective places across the country. It is a season where family and friends come together and celebrate Christmas and New Year. Yet, it is also a season prone to criminal activities.
Crime trend
The trend has indicated that crime escalates during the festive season. For example, the 2022/2023 festive season crime prevention operations recorded a total of 1 758 criminal cases countrywide. This was more, compared to 1 621 criminal cases recorded during the 2021/2022 festive season. The 2023/2024 festive season crime prevention operation recorded a decrease in the crimes reported countrywide. Despite this decrease, it is not guaranteed that the current festive season will be peaceful, unless public awareness is given.
Normally, criminals engage in the process of crime displacement. Criminal displacement is the process whereby criminals move their activities to another location, or switch the types of crimes they commit with other unknown crimes. It also involves changing targets and times when certain crimes are committed. They do so in response to crime prevention efforts. From time to time, criminals invent new methods of committing crimes, and become sophisticated in their dealings.
Festive season crimes
At the beginning of November 2024, the Oshana police regional commander, Commissioner Lungameni Sakaria, held a stakeholders’ meeting where he cautioned the public to beware of festive season crimes.
“It is this time of the year when we all need to be vigilant. This meeting is aimed at discussing ways to make sure the movement of money in the region is secure and safe, and that there is proper and improved communication between the banks, the police and security companies,” he said. He, therefore, cautioned bank customers to be aware of bank-related scams to avoid falling victim to them.
There are crimes that are commonly committed during the festive season in the country. These include offences such as murder, housebreaking and theft, stock theft, fraud, robberies, and theft out of motor-vehicles.
Others involve drinking and driving, which contributes significantly to road accidents countrywide. Some of the crimes committed during the festive season are not listed above.
Why crime rate increase?
During the 2023/2024 festive season crime operation preparatory meeting, the Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Joseph Shikongo, indicated that criminals find opportunities to make money during this period of the year. Criminals know that at this time of the year, people travel out to various places across the country. Mostly when they travel, they leave nobody at home, except sometimes their pets. With this knowledge, criminals search for unoccupied homes, and eventually break in with the intention of stealing. Many criminals also look for holiday money to entertain themselves or their relatives. This often drives them to engage in extracurricular activities such as scamming people. Yet, these factors do not justify a person engaging in criminal activities.
Stay alert
Overall, it is best to stay alert during the festive season, and beware of these crimes. Criminals may come up with new types of methods for committing crimes, but it is best to be informed about these developments. It is also important to take precautionary measures before travelling to ensure that someone is left at home during the holiday.
*Collen Kurana is a freelance writer and doctoral candidate in Public Administration (Peace Studies) at the Durban University of Technology.