Theft and related Offences

Aided by greater public awareness and vigilance, theft and related offences fell from 22,711 cases to 20,519 cases in 2006. Shop theft, theft from person and other theft were among the offences that witnessed the largest absolute decreases.

Other theft, which are commonly cases where victims left their belongings unattended in public places such as shops, eating places, void decks, schools etc, fell significantly from 7,206 to 6,008 cases. Meanwhile, shop theft dropped, from 5,270 to 4,804 cases and theft from persons, from 1,023 to 797 cases.

Concern arises, however, over the rise in theft and related offences where metal items were stolen in 2006. A total of 1,092 cases of theft of metals were reported in 2006, which was an increase of 566 cases from 2005. Such cases occurred at both public and private premises and common metal items stolen include cables, lightning conductors, raw materials, prayer urns, dry-riser lugs ⁸ , signages, drain covers and doors of cable television over-ground boxes.

8 Dry-riser lugs are fittings in buildings needed for SCDF firefighters to draw water to douse high-rise fires.