February 18, 2025
SINGAPORE – The number of physical crime cases in 2024 has remained stable, but the police are concerned about the rising number of shop theft and voyeurism cases.
On Feb 17, the police announced their annual physical crime statistics for 2024. There were a total of 19,969 reported cases of physical crime, up by three cases from the 19,966 in 2023.
The top crimes of concern in 2024 were shop theft, outrage of modesty and voyeurism.
Shop theft was the most common physical crime, accounting for more than 21 per cent of the total number, with cases increasing by 7.6 per cent from 3,939 in 2023 to 4,237 in 2024.
The police said retail outlets commonly targeted included FairPrice at Jurong Point, Watsons at Suntec City mall and Cold Storage at Plaza Singapura.
When contacted, spokesmen for the FairPrice Group and the DFI Retail Group, which runs Giant and Cold Storage supermarkets, declined to reveal shop theft figures.
But a Watsons spokesman said there were 20 per cent more cases in the past year.
Other countries like Australia, New Zealand and the US have also seen a recent surge in shop theft and retail crime owing to the rising cost of living.
But in Singapore, the police said, the increase is likely to be because of the more widespread use of security cameras by retailers.
For shop theft cases involving youth, most occurred at supermarkets and health, beauty and wellness outlets, they added.
Items typically stolen included personal care products, cosmetics, and food and beverages.
Voyeurism cases also rose, increasing by 9 per cent from 476 in 2023 to 519 in 2024.
Of these, 162 happened on residential premises, 80 in shopping complexes and 69 on the public transport network.
Most of the cases on residential premises involved perpetrators known to victims, such as boyfriends, family members or tenants.
The culprits in shopping complexes and on the public transport network typically were strangers.
The police confirmed there were 10 cases of murder in 2024. This was the highest number in five years.
The number of outrage of modesty cases fell by 6.6 per cent from 1,528 in 2023 to 1,427 in 2024.
More than half of these cases involved culprits known to the victims, said the police.
There were 356 cases on residential premises, 158 on the public transport network, 135 in shopping complexes and 103 at public entertainment outlets.
In response to queries, the police said the number of knife-related cases had remained relatively stable in the past three years.
The figure rose from 117 incidents in 2023 to 131 in 2024.
It was reported in January that the sale of flick knives and knuckledusters will be regulated after several knife attacks in 2024, including the attack on a Catholic priest in Bukit Timah.
As for housebreaking and theft, the police said that despite a short spike around the middle of the year from June, the total number of cases fell from 135 in 2023 to 118 in 2024.
The police had stepped up patrols at private residential estates, engaged residents and deployed cameras and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The police said these measures led to a sharp drop in housebreaking and theft cases in the following months.
Rape cases also decreased from 436 in 2023 to 401 in 2024.
The police said that in most of the knife-related and rape cases, the victims knew the culprits.
Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) Gregory Tan, director of the police’s operations department, said the stable physical crime rate was possible only with the strong support from the community and other stakeholders.
He said the decrease in crimes like outrage of modesty has been encouraging, but Singapore must remain vigilant.
SAC Tan warned potential offenders that technological advancements have enhanced the ability of the police to detect and solve physical crimes.
He added: “We are confident that with the community’s and stakeholders’ strong support for a safe and secure Singapore, physical crime will remain low, and together we can reinforce Singapore’s standing as one of the world’s safest nations.”
