BREAK-INS AND CAR VANDALISM IN HDB HEARTLANDS

Column: 897

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BREAK-INS AND CAR VANDALISM IN HDB HEARTLANDS

2.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs if he will provide an update on the trend from 2000 to the present of cases of (i) apartment break-ins in HDB heartlands; and (ii) car vandalism, in particular, punctured tyres in HDB multi-storey carparks.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: In 2000, there were 200 cases of housebreaking reported in HDB estates and it increased to 256 cases and 316 cases in 2001 and 2002 respectively. The number of break-ins has fluctuated between 2003 and 2005, with a peak at 446 in 2003, followed by a decline the following year to 314. In 2005, break-in cases rose to 401 cases. In the first nine months of 2006, there were 177 cases as compared to 325 cases for the same period in 2005, representing a drop of 46%. See Table 1 below.

**_Table 1: Number of housebreaking cases at residential premises
in HDB estates _ **

Year: |

2000

|

2001

|

2002

|

2003

|

2004

|

2005

|

2006

---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---

No. of cases: |

200

|

256

|

316

|

446

|

314

|

401

|

177*

*Figure for Jan-Sep 2006

Efforts by the Police to heighten residents’ awareness on the protection of their own premises could have contributed to the decrease in the number of break-ins at residential premises in public housing estates this year. This is reflected in the reduction in cases where culprits gained entry through unsecured doors/windows or where there were no signs of tampering. There were 49 such cases in January to September 2006 compared to 97 such cases in the same period in 2005. This decrease could be attributed to residents’ vigilance in securing their premises so that opportunistic offenders do not have the chance to prey on them. Therefore, residents should take measures to protect their homes from theft.

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A second contributing factor would be the reduced activities of serial offenders targeting HDB flats this year. Between January to September 2005, there were eight serial offenders who were responsible for some 72 break-ins targeting apartments in HDB estates. In comparison, there were only six serial offenders in the first nine months this year who committed a total of 39 such break-ins.

The Police does not have the breakdown of figures for mischief to cars by punctured tyres at HDB multi-storey car parks. The data collated by Police for mischief to vehicle cases covers all vehicles, including motorcycles. These cases include scratches to the vehicles, cuts to the seats and punctured tyres at all locations and not restricted to HDB multi-storey car parks.

Mischief to vehicle cases rose from 2,129 cases in 2000 to a peak of 2,510 cases in 2003. Nonetheless, we have seen marked improvements in recent years, as these mischief cases have fallen significantly, to an average of about 1,025 cases in the last two years (921 cases in 2004 and 1,128 cases in 2005) ie, a drop of nearly 60% compared to 2003. There were 853 such incidents in the first nine months this year which is comparable to the level recorded, ie, 850 for the corresponding period in 2005. See table 2 below.

** Table 2: Number of mischief to vehicles **

Year: |

2000

|

2001

|

2002

|

2003

|

2004

|

2005

|

2006

---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---

No. of cases: |

2129

|

2156

|

2458

|

2510

|

921

|

1128

|

853*

*Figure for Jan-Sep 2006

Most of the mischief to vehicle incidents appeared to be isolated and unrelated. Some common scenarios include disputes with neighbours, or unpleasant encounters with pedestrians, which led to vehicles being vandalised.

The pro-active measures taken by the Police to keep the crime trends under check include frequent vehicular patrols, especially around HDB multi-storey car parks. Police has increased its patrols and checks at HDB heartlands, especially in areas such as void decks and multi-storey carparks. In addition, Police works closely with the members of public through its community policing initiatives, such as the Community Safety and Security Programme (CSSP) and Neighbourhood Watch Zone Scheme, to look out for suspicious persons loitering in HDB car parks. As police officers cannot be everywhere at all times, members of the public can do their part by alerting the Police when they come across suspicious characters loitering at car parks or in their neighbourhoods.