Territorial crimes surge 23%; violent crimes up 6% in first nine months

Overall crime fell in the first three quarters of this year compared to the same period in 2024, despite significant increases in territorial crimes, which rose by 23%, and violent crimes, which increased by 6.1%.

The data were released on Friday at a press conference held by the Office of the Secretary for Security (GSS), where Secretary for Security Chan Tsz King made his first presentation since taking office.

Territorial crimes rose by 23%, with 380 cases recorded – 71 more than the 309 cases reported in the same period last year.

Major contributors to this category included 172 cases of disobedience and 116 cases of false statements, representing increases of 39.8% and 22.1%, respectively.

Regarding violent crimes, 1,833 cases were recorded. Child sexual abuse showed the most dramatic rise, surging 86.7% to 28 cases, up from 15 last year.

Among these, 13 cases involved consensual sexual acts between minors of similar age, the transmission of pornographic material, or minor sexual harassment; cases involving individuals with family relationships were also reported.

Assaults were a primary driver of the increase in violent crime, with 883 cases contributing to a 5.6% rise within the first nine months.

While many crime categories saw individual increases, the overall crime rate decreased by 4.1% compared to 2024.

Notable surges were recorded in several areas: illegal gambling crimes skyrocketed by 985%, drug trafficking and sale increased by 37.1% (48 cases), fraud rose by 12.3% (91 cases), and drug use (smoking narcotics) jumped by 72.7% (19 cases).

Two murders were recorded, up from one last year, both linked to family disputes. In one case, a man killed his wife with a bladed weapon over trivial matters; in the other, a man killed his brother due to a financial dispute. Separately, on November 13, a homicide occurred in a hotel room in a crime of passion.

Transport crime saw a 70.6% surge in the theft of light/heavy motorcycles, with 29 cases recorded –12 more than last year.

Regarding juvenile delinquency, there were 98 cases in the first three quarters of this year, an increase of seven cases compared to the same period last year.

Among these, bodily harm cases were the most frequent, totaling 39 cases, though this represents a decrease of five cases compared to the same period last year.

Most of these cases involved minor physical conflicts among friends or classmates during play or sports, with relatively minor injuries.

The number of individuals handed over to the Public Prosecutor’s Office rose to 362. Youth crime contributed to this, showing an increase of two cases (a 25% rise), which helped drive the total increase in prosecuted cases to 8.8%.

Meanwhile, 64 illegal immigrants were detected, a significant reduction of 66.5%, or 127 fewer individuals, compared to 2024. Additionally, 10,862 people were registered as overstaying their visas, a minor decrease of 0.2% (26 people) from last year.

Secretary Chan noted that the “Eyes in the Sky” surveillance system helped in investigating 7,131 cases, including serious violent crimes such as homicide, robbery, and arson.

Robbery and theft cases decreased, with 32 and 1,386 recorded, respectively, in the first three quarters. One notable case was a jewelry store robbery in July, where the suspect fled to mainland China. The Judiciary Police (PJ) reported the case to Zhuhai authorities, leading to the suspect’s apprehension within three hours.

A total of 21 arson cases were recorded, a decrease of seven from 2024. While these often involved improperly discarded cigarette butts, a significant reduction was noted compared to past years. Contributing factors included minors and individuals with mental health conditions misusing fire.

Construction is currently underway on the 6th phase and Zone A of the New Urban Reclamation for the “Eyes in the Sky” system, with plans to install 680 and 120 new cameras, respectively.

Rape cases dropped significantly, falling by 40% (16 cases) compared to 2024. Most of these incidents occurred in hotel rooms, with over 70% of the victims being non-residents; some cases involved financial disputes between victims and suspects.

Domestic violence cases also declined, with 80 preliminary cases registered in the first three quarters – 24 fewer than last year. As of October 31, after investigation, seven were confirmed as domestic violence crimes, 59 as physical assault offenses, two as domestic conflicts, five as other crimes, and seven remain under investigation.

According to Secretary Chan, authorities have actively implemented various security measures to ensure the smooth operation of major ongoing events, including the 8th Legislative Assembly Election and the 15th National Games. Ricaela Diputado