Crimes in Japan Up for 1st Time in 20 Yrs

Tokyo, Feb. 2 (Jiji Press)--The number of criminal offences recognized by police in Japan in 2022 rose 5.9 pct from the previous year to 601,389, up for the first time in 20 years, the National Police Agency said Thursday.

The growth came as the number of street crimes, such as bicycle theft cases, increased after COVID-19 restrictions were eased.

With cyberattacks, special fraud and child abuse cases also growing, the NPA said that the country is facing a serious crime situation.

After peaking at 2.85 million in 2002, the number of Penal Code offenses recognized by police had been on a declining trend thanks to crackdown efforts by police and the spreading use of security equipment, hitting a post-World War II low for the seventh consecutive year in 2021.

The number of street crimes plunged in 2020 and 2021 due chiefly to behavioral restrictions amid the novel coronavirus crisis.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]