Statistics recording a year-on-year decrease in the first nine months of 2020 in a number of categories of reported crime, show Macao remains a secure and safe city.

The tally of all forms of reported crime for January to September in 2020, saw a 33.1-percent decrease year-on-year to 7,092 instances, according to the police-enforcement statistics published today.

The prevention of any rebound in Macao of COVID-19 was a major task for the Macao SAR Government. The security authorities would therefore play their part in that work. They would remain highly vigilant, and make any necessary arrangements in a timely way – with the use of science and technology – in order to maintain Macao’s safe environment and stability.

During the first nine months of 2020, the number of all types of reported violent crime saw a significant decrease, namely by 67.7 percent year-on-year, to 169 instances.

According to police data, instances of several forms of major crime recorded a significant decrease in the first three quarters. Reports of crime against the person dropped 19.3 percent, to 1,522 instances.

Crimes against property saw a 40.2-percent year-on-year decline, to 3,913 in aggregate. Under that heading, suspected usury cases – in Macao typically associated with loan sharking – declined 87.9 percent year-on-year, to 57 instances.

Under the heading of crimes against life and against society, the number of arson cases reported in the first nine months of 2020 was 23, a 39.5-percent year-on-year decrease. Main cause of it was cigarette butt littering.

From January to September, reported crimes of sexual abuse against children rose 63.6 percent year-on-year, to 18 incidences. Those cases were mostly alleged to have taken place either in schools or within households. The police would step up promotional effort in collaboration with schools, with regard to awareness of such crime.

In addition, during the period, the police detected 464 instances involving suspected illegal immigrants, representing a 38.2-percent year-on-year drop in such cases.

There was an aggregate of 52 instances of illegal gaming recorded in the first nine months of 2020. The tally represented 41 cases more than in the corresponding period last year.

The number of suspected extortion cases went up year-on-year 20.4 percent, to 65 instances. Instances resulting from people engaging with third parties in online video chats while naked, saw a significant increase. The police would strengthen exchange of intelligence with neighbouring countries and cities, while bolstering promotion locally of anti-scam advisory messages.

According to the security authorities, the citywide electronic surveillance system, known as “Sky Eye”, has had a positive effect in terms of assisting the police in solving crimes more quickly. There was a total of 1,600 cases from January to September of 2020 that involved the use of the surveillance system for investigation purposes.

The introduction of the fourth phase of the surveillance system has been completed. The fifth and the sixth phase respectively of installation would involve respectively 300 and 680 surveillance cameras.