Crime-case statistics recorded by the police show a year-on-year decrease in the first half of 2022 in a number of categories. The data show Macao remains a secure and safe city, and that the security authorities are effective in their targeted preventive measures.
The tally of all forms of reported crime for January to June in 2022 saw a 15.8-percent decrease year-on-year to 4,983 instances, according to the police statistics published today.
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has spread rapidly worldwide during the year. From mid-June to early August, Macao had faced the most severe community outbreak since the beginning of the COVID-19 alert. The security authorities had worked closely in line with the Government’s overall anti-epidemic strategy, including via strengthened epidemic control and prevention effort in collaboration with the Zhuhai authorities. The Macao security authorities had worked at the forefront of the fight and joined hands with other Government departments and people from across the community, in the fight against the outbreak.
The security authorities would continue to monitor closely any possible changes in local security conditions and any change in the trend of criminal activity, while enhancing the mechanism for alerting the public regarding crimes, and the mechanism for law enforcement. The police would also work closely with their counterparts within the region to combat any criminal activities, in order to safeguard the security of Macao society.
Across the first six months of 2022, there was an aggregate of 83 cases of violent crime reported to the police. The most serious forms of violent crime – such as kidnapping, murder, and aggravated assault – continued to be either zero or extremely rare in Macao.
Reported cases of crime against the person showed a year-on-year decrease of 8.1 percent, to 1,102 instances. Crimes against property saw a year-on-year drop of 10.5 percent, to 2,596 in the first half this year.
In the category of crimes against life in society, there were 246 cases, representing a 23.1 percent drop year-on-year. Reported instances under the heading of crimes against the territory saw a 37.7 percent decrease, to 167.
Crimes outside those categories recorded a 28.9 percent of decrease, to 872 instances. Under that heading, computer-related cases reported to the authorities saw a significant drop of 82.7 percent, to 107 cases.
The security authorities have stepped up their enforcement effort to combat “parallel import” activities, which not only hindered normal boundary crossing activity between Macao and Zhuhai, but also increased the risk of transmission of COVID-19.
The Macao Customs Service had introduced a computer system to screen travellers making multiple trips between Macao and Zhuhai within a single day. Also, those mainland residents holding a visa for family visits to Macao, or those non-resident workers might face a one-year entry ban to the city, if they were found guilty of conducting “parallel import” activities.
In addition, police data showed a year-on-year decrease in gaming-related crimes, such as scams; robbery; usury cases, in Macao typically associated with loan sharking; theft; and false imprisonment. In the first six months of 2020, 2021, and 2022, gaming-related crimes in the above categories aggregated to, respectively, 213 instances, 361 instances, and 198 instances. The police evaluated that trends in gaming-related crime were coincidental to fluctuations in visitor volume due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The police nonetheless would remain highly vigilant regarding the prevention and combatting of any illegal activities that might affect the gaming industry.
The Government had completed in June the amendment to Law no. 16/2001 “Legal Framework for the Operations of Casino Games of Fortune”. There was no significant change to the public-order situation due to the amendment. The police would nonetheless keep monitoring relevant developments and would update their enforcement strategy if conditions required it.