JOHANNESBURG, July 16 (Xinhua) -- South African Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu said Tuesday that reducing violent crimes, gender-based violence, and femicide remains one of the top priorities for the police department as the crime rate is still too high in the country.

"Through the implementation of the increased crime prevention and combating action plan, we aim to reduce the percentage of contact crimes reported by 14.5 percent over the medium term," Mchunu said when delivering a speech for a budget vote of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the National Assembly in Cape Town, the country's legislative capital.

"Additionally, we expect the detection rate for contact crimes against women to improve to over 71 percent, and the detection rate for contact crimes against children to exceed 65 percent," he said.

The police department will continue to expand its workforce to enhance police visibility, improve community responsiveness, and build public confidence in the police service, according to the minister.

Mchunu said the proliferation of firearms in South Africa requires an urgent and dedicated focus, as most murders are committed by using illegal firearms. "There are just so many firearm-linked crimes in society and the SAPS needs to improve its management of firearms in its possession," he said.

Noting that crimes have been undermining the country's economy, Mchunu pledged that they would beef up efforts to tackle organized crimes, money laundering, and terror financing. Enditem

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