Last year, there were approximately 601,000 cases of criminal offenses nationwide, an increase of more than 5% from the previous year, and the first year-on-year increase in 20 years.
In addition, the number of child abuse reports has reached a record high, and the National Police Agency will strengthen measures.
According to the National Police Agency, there were 601,389 criminal law crimes nationwide last year, an increase of 33,285 cases compared to the previous year, or an increase of 5.9%. It increased from the previous year for the first time in a year.
Of these, street crimes such as bicycle theft, assault, and injury were 201,619, an increase of 25,317, or 14.4%, from the previous year, and serious crimes such as robbery, arson, and sexual assault were 9,536. , an increase of 715 cases, or 8.1%, compared to the previous year.
The National Police Agency has analyzed that the reason for the significant increase in street crime is that the impact of the new corona has settled down and the number of people going out has increased.
On the other hand, "major crimes" such as the shooting death of former Prime Minister Abe and the robbery of ordinary houses by members who applied for "dark part-time jobs" occurred one after another, causing anxiety among the public.
In addition, a total of 17,520 cases of damage were caused by "special fraud," and the amount of damage was approximately 36.14 billion yen, an increase of 7.94 billion yen, or 28.2%, from the previous year, marking the first increase in eight years.
In addition, 115,730 children under the age of 18 were reported to the Child Guidance Center by police on suspicion of child abuse, the highest number ever.
The National Police Agency said that the crime situation is in a severe situation, and said, "As Japanese society is changing, we would like to respond to the public's trust by pursuing flexible organizational management so that we can deal with various issues."
Chief Cabinet Secretary “Will the increase in the flow of people due to changes in the infection situation have a certain degree of impact?”
At a press conference in the morning, Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno said, "The reason for the increase is believed to be an increase in street crimes such as bicycle theft, and the increase in the flow of people due to changes in the infection status of the new coronavirus appears to have had a certain impact. I would like to promote efforts to ensure the safety and security of the people."