Assault and robbery top six-month crime list

JAKARTA (JP): The city police have recorded 8,270 crimes during the first half of this year, with vehicle thefts, violent robbery, armed robbery and aggravated assault remaining the most frequently committed crimes.

The six-month figure reveals a slightly lower pace than last year, which experienced 21,573 cases.

According to a semi-annual report issued yesterday by the Jakarta Metropolitan Police headquarters and made available to The Jakarta Post, the monthly figures from January to June were 1,396, 1,196, 1,350, 1,495, 1,433 and 1,400 crimes, respectively, or an average of 45 recorded cases per day.

The report -- which covered the areas of Bekasi, Tangerang and Depok -- showed that only half of the cases were solved.

West Jakarta, East Jakarta and South Jakarta experienced the greatest criminal activity.

Vehicle theft remains at the top of the crime list, (see table) with a total of 1,715 motorcycles, 503 cars and three three-wheel vehicles stolen in six months.

The figures showed that at least nine motorcycles and three cars were stolen on average everyday in and around the city.

The report also stated that about 70 percent of the vehicle thefts were carried out between 3 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Violent robberies with wounded victims occurred 1,357 times, or an average of seven cases per day. Half of the cases occurred between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and half between 12 p.m. and 3 a.m.

The report said that 681 cases of armed robbery, or about four cases per day, were recorded during the period.

More than 60 percent of the reported cases happened at midday while the remaining cases took place in the evening.

The number of aggravated assault cases increased significantly, from 32 cases in the month of January to 52 cases in the month of June.

The number of drug offenses reached a new record last month, due primarily to the many raids carried out at nightspots by city police and military personnel trying to detect the transaction of illegal drugs such as Ecstasy.

The report said that the number of demonstrations in the city dropped from 65 in May to 39 cases last month.

The report also found a connection between the number of student brawls and school holidays. In May and June, there were no brawls as schools were closed for the holidays. (bsr)