On Tuesday 1 September, the Free State police released the provincial crime statistics for the fourth quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year and the first quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year.
The Free State police have recorded a mixed crime picture for the first quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year, with encouraging decreases in a number of serious crimes, while the sharp increase in attempted murder remains a concern.
Between April and June 2026, the province recorded 8 817 contact crimes, representing a 3.6% increase compared to the same period last year. The province also recorded 20 622 community-reported serious crimes, an increase of 3.9%.
There was, however, a 1.1% decrease in property-related crime, which declined from 4 853 to 4 802 cases.
One of the most encouraging developments is the continued decrease in murder. The province recorded 156 murders, compared to 186 during the same period last year. This represents a 16.1% decrease. Murder also decreased by 10.3% compared to the previous quarter, January to March 2026.
There were also significant decreases in several robbery-related crimes. Robbery with aggravating circumstances decreased by 9.3%, while carjacking, robbery at residential premises, and robbery at non-residential premises also recorded decreases.
Trio crimes decreased by 23.3%, from 399 to 306 cases.
ATTEMPTED MURDER REMAINS A CONCERN
Despite the positive developments, police management remains concerned about the sharp increase in attempted murder.
A total of 678 attempted murder cases were recorded during the quarter, compared to 393 during the same period last year. This represents an increase of 72.5%.
The increase will receive focused attention from provincial police management, with resources and operational interventions directed towards addressing serious violent crime.
The statistics also indicate increased police activity and the continued efforts by SAPS Free State to take the fight against crime to criminals.
Crimes detected as a result of police action increased by 13%, from 3 560 to 4 023 cases.
Drug-related crimes detected through police action increased by 15.6%, while sexual offenses detected through police action increased by 23.4%. The detection of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition also increased by 10.3%.
Thabo Mofutsanyana District recorded the highest number of crimes detected as a result of police action, with 1 782 cases, accounting for 44.3% of the provincial total. Mangaung followed with 1 345 cases.
Mangaung recorded the highest number of contact crimes, with 3 064 cases, accounting for 34.8% of the provincial total. Thabo Mofutsanyana recorded an 8.8% decrease in contact crime, while Xhariep recorded a 17.1% increase.
The previous quarter, (4th quarter of the 2025/2026 Financial Year) January to March 2026, also recorded positive results, with contact crime decreasing by 3.5%, property-related crime by 7%, and the 17 community-reported serious crimes by 4.2%.
“We welcome the decrease in murder and the reductions we are seeing in several robbery-related crimes. These results show that the work being done by our members is making a difference. However, there is still a lot of work to do, especially when it comes to attempted murder.
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