The number of crimes registered in Liege in 2014 was up by 3.3% on the previous year. 80% of cases involved harm to property or persons. In total 39,929 incidents (an average of 109 per day) were registered in 2014. Police in Liege had to work harder than in the previous year, according to crime statistics presented at a press conference on Wednesday.
This 3.3% increase rises to 4.4% if ticketing for infringement of local regulations (5,750 cases) is taken into account.
“Does this mean there are more crimes in Liege? More than anything it shows an increase in police activity, and also, to a minor degree, of the number of crimes committed. It would take very little for us to see those figures go down,” said the Cité Ardente alderman, Willy Demeyer.
48.1% of crimes registered concerned property damage, with 19,211 incidents, a 0.4% decrease. This includes thefts and extortion. Robberies in private dwellings are down by 16.1%. Police believe that this decrease is linked to an effort at prevention, and to the dismantling of gangs and the arrests of middlemen.
Theft from vehicles, however, have increased by 10.3%. Throughout the course of the past year, 142 suspects were arrested. Police remind motorists that valuables should not be left in cars.
As for attacks on people, they represent 31.9% of the total number of crimes and increased by 9.4%. Within the attacks on people category itself, the five most frequent offenses are intentional assault, illegal residence, threats, public drunkenness (the only one which has shown a slight decrease) and drugs (both use and detention of).
(Source: Belga)
Crime figures rise in Liege
