Citasa: police-industry collaboration is cutting CIT robberies, but vehicle bombings intensify
CIT robberies fell 21% from 2017 to 2023 and about 30% since joint SAPS-industry task teams began - but 77% of vehicles attacked in 2023 were bombed and losses topped R200m.
Cash-in-transit robberies declined 21% between 2017 and 2023, and about 30% since collaborative initiatives between the industry and law enforcement were implemented, Dr Alice Maree of the Cash-In-Transit Association of South Africa (Citasa) told the Evidence-Based Policing South Africa Conference in Cape Town, defenceWeb reported.
The violence is intensifying even as volumes fall: in 2023, 77% of armoured vehicles targeted in attacks were bombed, and industry losses exceeded R200 million.
Collaboration measures include joint task teams with SAPS, cooperation with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), crime pattern analysis, early warning systems, offender profiling and public hotlines. Coordination extends across provincial and national borders, with structured information sharing between law enforcement, industry and the public.
Maree warned that first-time arrest records mask repeat offenders with histories of violent crimes including business robberies and home invasions.
"CIT robberies are not a normal crime phenomenon and... deeply affects South Africa's economy and every citizen's daily life," Maree said.
Source: defenceWeb / ProtectionWeb, 2 June 2025 - defenceweb.co.za
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