China News Service, Hong Kong, July 29. The Hong Kong police announced on the 29th that in the first half of this year, the overall crime rate in Hong Kong increased by nearly 30% year-on-year. The police said that the violent incidents related to the "Regulations Amendment Disturbance" have not completely subsided, making it difficult for Hong Kong's law and order to return to the level before the incident in a short time.
According to police data, in the first half of 2020, a total of 32,345 crimes were recorded in Hong Kong, an increase of 27.9% over the same period in 2019. There were 4,507 violent crimes, an increase of 13.5% over the same period last year. The increase was mainly due to crimes related to the "Regulation Amendment Disturbance". Among them, crimes of obstructing public security such as riots and illegal assembly have increased by 7.1 times year-on-year.
According to the police, since the violent incidents related to the "Regulation Amendment Disturbance" in the past year or so have not yet completely subsided, some citizens have exaggerated their sense of unlawfulness, the economy has deteriorated, and the wearing of masks has made it easier for criminals to hide their identity and other negative factors, making Hong Kong law and order. It is difficult for the situation to return to the level before the "Regulation Amendment Disturbance" in a short time.
The police said that despite this, if the crime figures in the first half of this year are compared with the second half of 2019, the overall crime rate dropped slightly by 4.9%. The types of crimes related to the "Regulations Amendment Disturbance", such as arson, criminal damage, and crimes of obstructing public security, have dropped by 30% to 80%.
With regard to juvenile crimes, in the first half of this year, 2,306 young people were arrested for criminal offences, an increase of 86.9% over the same period last year. The main crimes involved were, in order, riots and illegal assembly and other crimes of obstructing public security, wounding and serious assault, shop theft, and criminal destruction, which increased 11.2 times, 59.8%, 12.9% and 65.2% year-on-year respectively. (Finish)