Security and medical response marketplace Aura has released its inaugural Crime Trend Report.

The report gathered data over the past year from Aura’s nationwide network of more than 250 private security and medical companies comprising thousands of response vehicles and more than 300 000 active users.

By having a clear and accurate picture of the threats South Africans face, technology can then be used to combat, and even prevent crime, says Aura CEO Warren Myers.

“With these powerful data sets, which are being refined and improved daily, we are beginning to really understand how to apply technology to make our country a safer place for everyone.”

While Aura’s report focuses on 2021, it plans to release crime stats every quarter. 

“Our unacceptably high levels of crime mean South Africans live in a near perpetual state of fear and anxiety,” says Myers.

“We should never become so desensitised to crime that we lose sight of its devastating impact at every level of society. Combatting it swiftly and intelligently is an urgent priority.”

Aura says it noted an increase in activity relating to user safety. Usage of Aura’s services to request help when users feel unsafe, such as when on the side of the road during a vehicle breakdown, or in the event of suspicious activity, steadily increased throughout 2021. 

The report shows an overall 109% increase in reported incidents between 2020 and 2021, with this jump partly attributable to user growth, acknowledges Aura.

A total of 4 973 hijackings were reported in 2021 – a 3.5% increase from the same period last year.

Suspicious activity, vehicle breakdown, an altercation with a third party, followed by armed robbery, were the most popular reasons cited for South Africans calling for help via an Aura-powered platform.

In 2021, the highest volume of incidents were recorded in Gauteng, followed by the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

Aura says it recorded a 47% increase in incidents of domestic violence in the second quarter compared with the first quarter. It also recorded a further 45% increase in cases of gender-based violence between the second quarter and third quarter, followed by yet another rise of 41% between the third quarter and first quarter.

In May, 2021, Aura reported a 61% increase in the number of medical-related incidents, coinciding with the beginning of the country’s third wave of Covid-19 infections.

Aura says its median response time was 7 minutes and 41 seconds in the fourth quarter.

Other key findings from Aura’s report show an increase in organised, syndicate crime and opportunistic crime. 

Myers notes that while syndicates are becoming even more sophisticated, a rise in opportunistic incidents is indicative of ongoing tough socioeconomic conditions.

“The bottom line is that we need to make it far more difficult to be a successful criminal, regardless of the crime.

“This will require building and integrating technologies that criminals simply cannot avoid or outsmart. These technologies are here in Aura and it is extremely exciting to put them to good use for everyone’s benefit.”

Aura gathers and centralises data from more than 170 private security companies before applying artificial intelligence to dispatch the closest vetted response vehicle to its active users.