Crime rate at 30-year low in 2013 but cyber crimes on the rise: Police statistics
PUBLISHED ONFebruary 14, 2014 8:52 AMByLim Yan Liang
SINGAPORE - In the latest annual statistics released by the police on Friday, the crime rate last year was 549 per 100,000 people compared with 584 per 100,00 in 2012, and has been on the downtrend since 2005.
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Here is the executive summary of the SPF Annual Crime Brief 2013:
Overall Crime in 2013 fell by 4.3 per cent in 2013. The Overall Crime rate for 2013 rate registered the lowest figure for the past 30 years.
BREAKDOWN OF OVERALL CRIME IN 2012/2013
| Cases reported by crime classes | 2012 | 2013 | +/- | % change |
| Housebreaking and Related Crimes | 598 | 547 | -51 | -8.5 |
| Theft and Related Crimes | 18,476 | 16,967 | -1,509 | -8.2 |
| Miscellaneous Crimes | 4,221 | 4,060 | -161 | -3.8 |
| Crimes Against Persons | 3,824 | 3,808 | -16 | -0.4 |
| Violent/Serious Property Crimes | 389 | 406 | 17 | 4.4 |
| Commercial Crimes | 3,507 | 3,880 | 373 | 10.6 |
| OVERALL CRIME | 31,015 | 29,668 | -1,347 | -4.3 |
SIGNIFICANT DIPS IN KEY CRIMES
Four crime classes of Crimes Against Persons, Housebreaking and Related Crimes, Theft and Related Crimes and Miscellaneous Crimes registered decreases in 2013. In particular, the crime classes of Housebreaking & Related Crimes registered 20-year low figures. Cases of Motor Vehicle Theft, Snatch Theft and Robbery also registered the lowest figures for 20 years.
3 The following crimes of concern highlighted previously showed improvement in 2013:
(a) Fall in unlicensed moneylending (UML)
The number of harassment cases continued to fall in 2013 (-21.5 per cent). The Police have also kept up enforcement efforts, with an increase in the number of persons arrested for UML and harassment activities (+2 per cent).
(b) Lesser youths arrested for crime
The youth crime situation has also seen an improvement with the number of youths arrested falling (-10.1 per cent) in 2013.
(c) Fall in Outrage of Modesty (OM) cases The number of cases reported for Outrage of Modesty has fallen (-6.7 per cent) in 2013. Overall, arrests on-board buses and trains have increased by 10 persons (+14 per cent), from 70 persons in 2012 to 80 persons in 2013.
Kidnap and Lucky Draw scams register improvements
The Police's continuous efforts have contributed to a significant improvement in Kidnap and Lottery scams detected. Lucky draw scams with money cheated saw a drop (-29.3 per cent). The total amount of money cheated also decreased from S$7.4m in 2012 to S$3.4m in 2013. Kidnap scams with money cheated saw a drop (-43.5 per cent) in 2013. The total amount of money cheated also decreased from about S$131,900 in 2012 to S$81,400 in 2013.
AREAS OF CONCERN
There is a discerning trend that scams are migrating to cyberspace. Cheating and Related Offences increased using various modus operandi over cyberspace, namely (a) The 'Multiple Payment Online Purchase Scam' and (b) The 'Internet Love Scam'. These crimes are often preventable and internet users are urged to exercise heightened vigilance so as not to fall victims.
Although there are less youths arrested overall, the number of youths arrested for rioting increased (+18 per cent). The Police will monitor this trend closely and continue to partner the relevant agencies and stakeholders to tackle youth crime in a holistic manner.
POLICE-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVE LOWER CRIME
Singapore recorded the lowest crime rate in 30 years. This positive result was achieved through strong community involvement in crime fighting and the strong determination of the Singapore Police Force to prevent, deter and detect crime to make Singapore the safest country in the world. This strong collaboration with the community will continue.