By: Kheng-Liang Tan
In a Press Release on Monday (29 Aug), the Ministry of Home Affairs said that overall crime in Singapore for the first six months of 2016 has fallen by 2.1% year-on-year.
Of notable mention is a decline in various categories of crime. The number of fatal traffic accidents fell by 12.0% from 75 to 66 while the number of immigration offenders also declined by 36.6%, with 623 arrests compared to 982 the year before.
However, there was a notable increase in internet-related scams. Cheating involving e-commerce increased by 13.4% from 1,010 to 1,145 while internet love scams almost doubled from 150 to 298 cases.
The SPF said it took a multi-pronged approach including tough enforcement actions, community partnerships and public education to combat such actions. It added that it will work closely with schools, parents and community partners to raise awareness of internet-related scams.
There was a slight increase in a number of new drug abusers, with a total of 1,778 arrests compared to 1,717 the year before (a 3.6% increase). However, the number of new arrests soared by 15.9% to 729, compared to 629 previously. Of these, the majority (485) were below the age of 30.
The Press Release concluded that Singapore’s “law and order situation remains favourable. Nevertheless, Singapore continues to face various threats, especially terrorism. The community has a key role to keep Singapore safe and secure”.