CRIME (Situation Report)

Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for Home Affairs if he will give a full account of the latest crime situation in Singapore.

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Dr Lee Boon Yang) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, compared to 1987, seizable offences for 1988 increased by 5,490 cases or 10.9%. Not all categories of crime showed an increase. Robberies decreased slightly from 1,681 cases in 1987 to 1,674 cases in 1988, a slight drop of 0.4%. Number of rape cases also decreased from 99 in 1987 to 96 in 1988.

Murder showed an increase of four cases from 50 to 54. Property-related offences of housebreaking increased by 985 cases or 32.7% in 1988. However, the rate of housebreaking remained low at 35 per 10,000 dwelling units. Motor-vehicle theft increased by 184 cases or 3.9% over 1987 figures. Despite this increase, 68% of all the motor-vehicles reported stolen were recovered in the same year. The rest of the increase in seizable offences is due to theft, assault, mischief and outraging of modesty.

Singapore's crime rate of 207.4 per 100,000 population for serious offences of robbery, housebreaking, murder, rape and vehicle theft compares favourably with those of other countries. For example, Hong Kong has an overall crime rate of 356.3 per 100,000 population.

Police will continue to fight crime by upgrading their investigation and intelligence systems, and promoting crime prevention measures and public education programmes in the community. The increase of property offences of housebreaking and motor-vehicle theft reported last year highlights the importance of the need for the public to take crime prevention measures seriously and to cooperate with the Police to fight crime. In this context, it is heartening to note that in 1988, 765 persons who committed serious offences were arrested through assistance rendered by the public.

Mr Teo Chong Tee: Sir, may I ask the Senior Minister of State how many of these offenders are foreigners, in terms of percentage?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: I do not have the figures of offenders who are foreigners arrested last year. Yes, there were foreigners who were arrested in Singapore for committing certain crimes but the figures are not with me at the moment.