The Himalayan Times, Himalayan News Service, 27th April 2017, Kathmandu
The overall crime rate in Kathmandu Valley has shown a downward trend, according to the latest statistics released by Metropolitan Police Office.
“Nine months (mid-July to mid-April) into the current fiscal 2016/17, a total of 4,491 cognisable incidents of crime were recorded compared to 4,617 during the corresponding period last fiscal,” suggest the data.
The number of grave offences have come down.
As many as 386 thefts were reported till mid-April of this fiscal. Police said they had registered 396 such cases in the previous fiscal. Cases of financial and organised crimes witnessed a massive fall — 469 this fiscal against 748 last fiscal.
Such crimes include fraud, gambling,black marketing, extortion, forgery of government seal and signature, kidnapping, and smuggling of arms, ammunition, explosives and drugs.
According to the figure, other crimes like copyright infringement, theft of ancient monuments, banking offences and cybercrimes fell to 43 from 61. However, murder and attempt to murder, suicide, social crime, vehicular homicide and critical injuries have registered a steep increase.
The number of cases registered for murder and attempt to murder rose to 648 from 610.
The Valley witnessed increasing cases of suicide, which stood at 334 till mid-April of this fiscal compared to 281 during the same period last fiscal.
Similarly, only 2,176 cases of social crime were recorded in 2015/16 against 2,219 so far this fiscal. Crimes against women and children increased from 203 to 233 during the nine months of this fiscal. Such crimes included human trafficking, polygamy, rape, attempt to rape, unnatural sex, pediophillia and incestual rape. The time between noon and 6:00pm is more vulnerable to crimes, say the statistics.
Police said crime rate was yet to subside and attributed the increase in crime rate to unplanned urbanisation, access to transportation and communication, unemployment, and monetary greed.
Source: https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/kathmandu-valley-crime-rate-shows-downward-trend/
