By Isam Hammam

DRUG-related crimes and crimes against people have declined in Sharjah during the first half of this year, according to a statistical report released by Sharjah Police for the first half of this year. The report also revealed that financial crimes and those that could endanger society have increased slightly compared to the same period in 2009.

It showed that the number of drug-related crimes that were recorded during the first half of this year declined by 12 per cent when compared to last year, despite a slight increase in the rate of drug-abuse cases. The increase of this has been attributed to the prescription of drugs that are listed as psychotropic substances.

The number of drug possession and import cases in addition to trafficking and promoting of drugs has declined in the first half of this year when compared to 2009. The decline has been attributed to the methods that have been adopted by the MoI to combat narcotics. The ministry has also added mechanisms of control at ports in the country in addition to working on enhanced cooperation and coordination between the security and control authorities.

Crimes committed against people, including murder, murder attempts, suicide, assault, kidnapping, and rape, declined by 14 per cent in the first half of this year as compared to the same period last year, the report added.

The police also found that fights, classified under this category, in addition to deliberated assaults, have declined significantly in the period reviewed. The report also showed that there has been a decline in cases of suicide and knife fights. Overall, crime rates of acts committed against people declined due to security measures adopted by the police and tightened controls for combating violent fights in addition to regular inspection of deserted houses, according to the report.

Moreover, the report attributed the added pursuit of offenders and illegals, deportation of individuals who could be considered dangerous, control over illegal activities such as trafficking in alcohol, and measures taken to combat gangs involved in such activities as being key aspects in bringing down the crime rate in the emirate.

According to the report, thefts of cars declined significantly during the first six months of this year. Cases of international gangs attempting to carry out illegal activities in or through the UAE have “completely disappeared” due to increased control by police patrols in recent years.

In terms of financial crimes, the police expected the rate of such acts to increase due to the implications of the global crisis, the report explained.

During the first half of the year, the report pointed out that such crimes have been increased by 5 per cent as compared to 2009.

Much of the increase in such types of crime has been limited to cases involving dud cheques, which increased by 717 cases compared to the past year, according to the report. Small thefts and thefts of homes increased by 41 cases in the first half of this year, it added.

Crimes that could endanger public safety such as forgery and infiltration by illegals have also increased relative to last year, the report added.

The report, which was prepared by the research centre at Sharjah Police, pointed out the efforts made by the concerned authorities in areas of judicial and social control, in addition to highlighting strategic plans that have been adopted by the Ministry of Interior (MoI).

According to the report, there has been an overall reduction in crime in the emirate due to the plans set out by the ministry, whether these be in the field of reducing and preventing crimes or in combating drugs.