Police safety in focus after 17 officers killed in three months, six while on duty

Several bullet holes depict the intense gunfire police officers from Cato Manor SAPS came under in August 2026.

A total of 17 police officers lost their lives, six of them on duty, between April and June 2026, the latest crime statistics revealed.

The crime statistics for the first quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year from April to June 2026 were released on August 28.

According to the statistics, eleven police officers died while off-duty.

Of the 17 incidents, seven were reported in the Eastern Cape, two in Gauteng, six in KwaZulu-Natal and two in the Western Cape. Police were killed on duty in South Africa while conducting crime prevention duties, following up on information, or while responding to a complaint.