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Overview |
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The crime situation has improved
significantly in 2006. Overall crime reported in 2006 fell by 10% when
compared to 2005, from 37,093 to 33,393 cases. |
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All of the 9 index crimes1
registered decreases in 2006 from 2005, with the most significant
decreases noted for rioting and the property offences of
housebreaking, motor vehicle theft and robbery. |
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Theft and related offences 2,
which accounted for more than half (61%) of overall crime
reported, fell by 2,192 cases from 22,711 to 20,519 cases in 2006.
The overall decrease was largely due to fewer cases of shop theft,
theft from person and other theft3 . In addition,
handphone crimes4 also dropped from 4,825 to 4,594
cases. |
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The total number of persons arrested
decreased by 12% from 21,970 to 19,273. As in past years,
foreigners made up 14% of those arrested. |
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Youths made up 19% of total persons
arrested in 2006, compared to 23% last year. About 4 in 10 arrests
involving selected major offences5 were made with the
assistance of the public. |
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INDEX CRIMES |
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Cheating and related offences6
decreased from 3,052 to 2,917 cases in 2006. There were
decreases across cheating and related offences, with a significant
drop noted for handphone-related criminal breach of trust cases
from 303 to 231 cases. |
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Most of these cases involved culprits
who pretended to borrow handphones from victims then failed to
return them. Cases targeting elderly victims also fell from 134 to
94 cases. |
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Outraging of Modesty (OM)
dropped by 28 cases, from 1,308 to 1,280
cases. About one out of four outraging of modesty cases took place
at common areas of HDB blocks, such as lift/lift landing, void
deck, staircase/staircase landing. Cases involving contacts via
Internet and telephone chat lines dropped from 14 to 12 cases in
2006. |
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Housebreaking
decreased by 342 cases, from 1,465 to 1,123 cases in 2006. The
large overall decrease could be attributed to fewer break-ins at
HDB residences (from 401 to 253 cases), coffeeshops (from 111 to
47 cases), private residential premises (from 198 to 171 cases) as
well as childcare/education centres (from 73 to 62 cases). |
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Robbery
fell by 146 cases from 1,092 to 946 cases. The
number of handphone robberies (from 488 to 441 cases) as well as
the related concerns of robberies involving youth victims (from
252 to 211 cases) and youth culprits (from 204 to 145 cases) have
decreased. However, the number of robberies targeting elderly
victims increased from 51 to 63 cases in 2006. |
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Motor vehicle theft
decreased by 158 cases from 1,058 to 900 cases in 2006. The
decrease was attributed to a drop in the number of motorcycles
stolen (from 756 to 647 cases). Three quarters of the motor
vehicle theft cases occurred overnight and were mainly committed
at carparks in public housing estates. |
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Snatch Theft
decreased by 40 cases, from 632 to 592 cases in 2006. Similar to
robbery, there was a drop in cases where handphones were stolen
(from 283 to 264 cases) as well as cases involving youth victims
(from 136 to 89 cases). However, there were more snatch theft
cases involving youth culprits (from 77 to 87 cases) as well as
cases with elderly victims (from 102 to 106 cases). |
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Rioting
dropped by 128 cases, from 489 to 361 cases in 2006. Decreases
were noted for cases that took place along the streets (from 142
to 81 cases) and at common areas of HDB blocks (from 106 to 82
cases). This corresponds to the drop in the number of rioting
cases involving youth culprits, which fell by 68 cases, from 205
to 137 cases. Of these, 111 cases involved youth culprits and
youth victims. |
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Rape
dropped by 6 cases from 124 to 118 cases in 2006. Almost all rape
cases involved offenders who were known to the victims. Cases
involving contacts via the Internet and telephone chatlines also
decreased from 13 to 5 cases. |
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Murder
fell by 4 cases, from 21 to 17 cases in 2006. All 17 murders have
been solved. They were isolated and unrelated. Of these, thirteen
cases were crimes of passion7, committed as a result of
dispute between known parties. |
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More..... |
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1 Index crimes refer to the 9 offences
of cheating and related offences, housebreaking, motor vehicle
theft, outraging of modesty, robbery, snatch theft, rioting, rape
and murder. They were selected for their reliability and higher
reporting rates.
2 Theft and related offences
include other theft, theft in dwelling (in hotel and others), shop
theft, theft of bicycle, theft from person, etc and also includes
the index crimes motor vehicle theft and snatch theft.
3 Other theft refers to offences
under Sec 379 of the Penal Code Cap 224, excluding theft of
bicycles, theft from motor vehicles and theft from persons.
4 Refers to cases where handphones
or handphones and other items were taken for cases of theft from
vehicle, theft from person, shop theft, theft in dwelling,
cheating and related offences, robbery, housebreaking, snatch
theft, theft as a servant and other theft under Sec379 of Penal
Code Cap 224.
5 These major offences include
murder, rape, outraging modesty, robbery, housebreaking, motor
vehicle theft and snatch theft.
6 Cheating and related offences
include cheating, criminal breach of trust, counterfeiting of
currency, falsification of accounts, forgery, etc
7 Crimes of passion refer to
non-premeditated offences that occur in the heat of the moment
arising from immediate instigating factors such as disputes
ranging from money matters, personal/family matters, work-related,
boy-girl relationship, misunderstanding, etc. |
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Source:
www.mha.gov.sg News Release 1
Feb 2007 |
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