Reported crime in the first half of the year has increased since pre-pandemic 2019, but serious crime remains at a relatively low level and no homicides were reported, the latest figures show.
Announcing crime statistics for the first six months of 2024, security chief Wong Sio Chak said the number of reported crimes stood at 7,160 – 912 more than the same period last year, and 240 more than the first half of 2019.
Wong, whose remarks were reported by Macau Post Daily, said there were 149 cases of violent crimes, 34 cases of rape, 19 cases of robbery and 1,052 cases of theft in the first half of 2024. There were 17 cases of arson, 13 cases of child sex abuse and 24 cases of drug trafficking.
He noted that there were more thefts from unlocked and unattended vehicles.
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Juvenile delinquency in Macau has also become more prevalent, with 63 cases reported in the first half of 2024, representing an increase of seven cases compared to last year and 28 cases compared with the same period in 2019. The cases mostly involved brawls and thefts.
Cases of fraud showed a notable increase. Wong said there were a total of 908 cases involving telecom, network and computer fraud – an increase of 152 cases over the same period in 2019, with nearly 80 percent of the cases involving scammers “impersonating government officials and officers.”
Meanwhile, a total of 4,614 jaywalkers were fined between January and June this year – a fourfold increase compared to the same period in 2023. Penalties were imposed on 589 taxi drivers for malpractices such as overcharging or refusing fares.
“With the rise in the number of visitors to Macau and the continuous growth in the mobile population, there is an increased risk of robberies, thefts or gaming-related crimes,” Wong said. He pledged to “launch timely and targeted preventive measures and crime-fighting deployments by the police to safeguard the lives and properties of locals and tourists.”
