The total number of reported physical crime cases decreased slightly, with the community continuing to play its part in fighting crime.
By: Ng Yun Shiean and Mike Tan
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) released its Crime Brief for 2023 this week, covering the key physical-crime-related trends for the past year. Here are five things you should know about it!
1. The total number of reported physical crime cases decreased slightly in 2023
Such cases fell by 1.1% to 19,966 in 2023, from 20,193 in 2022. In 2023, the crimes of concern included shop theft, theft in dwelling, outrage of modesty (OM) and voyeurism. Last year, there were also 277 days free from robbery, snatch theft and theft of motor vehicle, an improvement of 36 days compared to 2022. These crimes also all saw a decrease in cases in 2023, compared to 2022.
2. Shop theft constituted the highest proportion of reported cases amongst all the physical crimes
Cases of shop theft increased to 3,939 cases in 2023, from 3,244 cases in 2022 (an increase of 21.4%), and accounted for 19.7% of total physical crime cases. Most reported cases occurred at department stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, and mini marts/convenience stores.
The SPF has been actively engaging the public across to raise awareness of the consequences of committing shop theft. This is done through engagement platforms such as school talks, youth engagement programmes, the Coffee with a Cop initiative, house visits and crime prevention talks jointly led by the Police and the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC). The NCPC also taps on Crime Prevention Ambassadors to regularly engage the elderly, through customised content in vernacular languages such as Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.
3. Theft in dwelling cases decreased in 2023
Theft in dwelling refers to theft committed in any building or human dwelling. Such cases fell to 1,695 cases in 2023, from 1,729 cases in 2022 (a decrease of 2%), and accounted for 8.5% of total physical crime cases. Most cases occurred at residential and commercial premises, with the majority of these cases committed (or suspected to be committed) by culprits known to the victim, such as tenants/roommates, family members, service providers and friends/acquaintances.
4. OM cases decreased in 2023
Cases of OM fell to 1,528 in 2023, from 1,610 cases in 2022 (a decrease of 5.1%) and accounted for 7.7% of the total physical crime cases. Most cases involved culprits known to the victims. The top three locations where OM cases occurred were at residential premises, public transport network and nightspots.
The SPF will continue to work closely with our stakeholders to raise awareness of OM among the public. On 24 January 2024, the SPF and the NCPC launched the fourth edition of the Safe Clubbing campaign. The campaign aims to bring together and leverage the expertise and networks of industry partners such as the Singapore Nightlife Business Association, Singapore River One and the Singapore Alliance for Responsible Drinking, to promote a safe environment for patrons and staff of public entertainment outlets.
5. Voyeurism cases increased in 2023
Cases of voyeurism increased to 476 cases in 2023, from 424 cases in 2022 (an increase of 12.3%), and accounted for 2.4% of total physical crime cases. The top three locations where voyeurism cases occurred were at residential premises, shopping complexes and the public transport network.
The number of voyeurism cases committed on public transport remained stable despite rising ridership. The SPF will work with public transport stakeholders and the community to enhance public education and to deter would-be perpetrators. From February 2024, advisory messages on voyeurism will be displayed prominently on the escalators of selected MRT stations.
We can all play a part in fighting crime
The community has played a vital role in helping to curb crime, through initiatives such as the Community Watch Scheme (CWS). Launched in December 2021, the CWS aims to build an informed and vigilant community through the dissemination of targeted crime alerts and advisories to CWS members.
Noting that while physical crime had seen a reduction in 2023 compared to 2022, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Gregory Tan, Director of the SPF’s Operations Department, encouraged members of the community to continue playing their part: “We believe that by presenting a united front, we have the best chance of sustaining the low levels of crime here, and upholding Singapore’s reputation as one of the safest places in the world.”
Annual Crime Brief 2023
To learn more about the Annual Crime Brief 2023, download the Brief and its related infographic.
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