TNAG-1447-FCO40-1931-Executive-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-meet-1986 — Page 194

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Chapter I - The crime situation in the first three quarters of 1985

INTRODUCTION

1.1

There was a 2.9% decrease in reported crime in 1984 compared with 1983. In the first three quarters of 1985 there was a 3.4% increase in reported crime over the same period in 1984.

1.2

This chapter compares and comments on the crime statistics for the first three quarters of 1985 and those for recent years.

ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON OF CRIME IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF 1985 WITH PREVIOUS YEARS

Overall crime

1.3

The total number of reported crimes in the first three quarters of 1985 was 64,062 as opposed to 61,947 in the same period of 1984, an increase of 3.4%. Crime per 100,000 of the population increased by 2.3%. A chart indicating the level of overall crime since 1978 is at Appendix III. It shows that although overall crime is appreciably higher than it was in 1978, it remains now at a plateau.

Violent crime

1.4

The Fight Crime Committee was pleased to note that the level of violent crime (a category including murder, manslaughter, serious assaults, robbery, rape, indecent assault on a female, blackmail and criminal damage to property) continued its downward trend in 1985. The number of reported cases decreased by 4.5% from 18,027 in January to September of 1984 to 17,215 cases in the same period of 1985. In terms of crime rate per 100,000 of the population, violent crimes decreased by 5.6%.

Robbery

1.5

There was a significant decrease of 10.6% from 5,684 to 5,079 in the number of robberies reported in the first three quarters of 1985 compared with the same period of 1984. The level of robberies in 1985 will be well below that prevailing in 1979 (see the chart at Appendix IV), if the trend persists.

1.6

The number of robberies involving the use of genuine firearms decreased from 17 to 14 (cases are classified as involving genuine firearms when a shot is fired, or when the firearms are confirmed as genuine after investigation). Those involving imitation firearms or pistol-like objects also decreased markedly from 239 to 104. More detailed statistics are at Appendix V.