Government to monitor Covid-19 effect on crime rate

Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak said that the government is closely monitoring the impact of Covid-19 on Macau’s security situation and the crime rate.
Yesterday, the security authority published a work report with crime statistics concerning the first quarter of 2020.
The Secretary concluded that the crime statistics indicate a continuously stable and satisfactory security status in the first three months. However, the recent developments as a result of Covid-19 is deserving of some attention. The security authority reiterates that the aftereffect of Covid-19 will bring threats to Macau’s economy and livehood as well as create a number of other conflicts.
“The impact of its aftermath on Macau’s security stability should not be neglected,” the report reads.
In the first quarter, a total of 530 mainland residents were involved in 421 criminal cases. Forty-five of these people held an Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) visa. In mid 2018, mainland China unified travel policies for both IVS and package tour visas by implementing identical travel conditions. However, the names of the visas remained unchanged.
IVS visas are issued by provincial capitals and some other major mainland cities.
The report revealed that 515 mainland tourists became victims of crimes in the first quarter of this year. Over the same period, mainland residents amounted to 4.7 million entries, a 65.3% decrease year-on-year.
In the first quarter, Macau recorded 2,412 crime cases, a 28.3% decrease compared to the same period in 2019.
Although mainland China has not hinted at any sign of reopening visa applications to the SARs, changes to immigration restrictions in Macau’s neighboring regions have alarmed the local security authority.
“As the pandemic gradually becomes under control, Macau’s, and its neighboring regions’, entry and exit policies may be adjusted. Additional uncertain factors that could have an impact on social security may arise then,” the report predicts.
Macau’s gaming industry stumbled in recent months due to the decline in tourist arrivals. Consequently, the security authority has not made an evaluation on the gaming industry’s effect on Macau security.
Taxi violations diminished much more than the relative number of tourist arrivals and the overall crime rate. The Public Security Police Force recorded 77 taxi violations, a 95.5% decrease yearly. Only three cases of overcharging were reported.
There were 11 arson cases, a 21.4% drop, mostly related to the littering of cigarette butts. Drug trafficking was down 32.1%, with 19 cases registered. Fourteen drug traffickers were Hong Kong residents. Crimes committed by juveniles decreased from ten to seven cases.