1
5
Triads
1.13
The number of persons prosecuted for
In
unlawful society offences increased markedly from 666 persons to 957 persons comparing the two periods. January to September of 1984 about 7.8% of all persons prosecuted were believed to have triad links and in 1985 this rose to 9.2%.
Burglary
1.14
The number of burglaries increased by 10.7% from 9,313 cases in the first nine months of 1984 to 10,307 in the corresponding period of 1985. Of the burglaries in 1985, 44.1% involved the theft of property valued at less than $1,000. While most major crime trends were contained, burglary remained the one major category of crime that has maintained a steady upward trend in recent years (as is clearly illustrated in the chart at Appendix IV). In 22.3% of burglaries in 1985 no break-in was effected, that is to say the premises had been left unlocked. It is for this reason that the Fight Crime Committee has been concentrating its recent publicity campaign on encouraging the public to take sensible and simple crime prevention measures by properly locking up their homes.
Shoplifting
1.15
Shoplifting is another offence showing an upward trend. The number of shoplifting cases increased markedly, by over 50%, from 2,907 cases in the first three quarters of 1984 to 4,483 cases in the equivalent period of 1985. Shoplifting is a crime of opportunity. The rising trend will continue if the number of potential targets, mainly supermarkets and department stores, continues to increase. The Fight Crime Committee is concerned about this crime and the matter is being investigated with a view to finding ways to arrest the increase.
Vehicle theft
1.16
The number of reported cases of theft from vehicles decreased from 3,792 cases in January to September of 1984 to 3,659 cases in the corresponding months of 1985. The number of reported cases of taking a vehicle without authority also decreased by nearly 25%, from 3,159 cases in 1984 to 2,391 cases in 1985 for the corresponding period.
000