Crime rate drops for 4th year in a row: Oman's Public Prosecution

Muscat: Oman has witnessed a dip of nearly 40 per cent in crimes over the past four years, according to the Sultanate’s Assistant Attorney General.

Cases brought to the public prosecution have almost halved between 2014, when there were 44,591 cases, and last year, which saw 26,672 cases recorded.
Dr Ahmed bin Said Al Shukaily, Assistant Attorney General and spokesperson for the Public Prosecution, said, “This is the fourth consecutive year in which the crime rate has been declining. This is a clear sign of the increase in community awareness as well as progress in legal awareness.”
Oman’s Public Prosecution has set out its 2018 successes and outlined plans for the future of justice in the Sultanate, at a press conference in Muscat, on Wednesday.
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According to the report published by the Public Prosecution, in 2018, 27,672 cases were brought before it, a slight decrease over the previous year.
In 2016, there were 37,793 cases recorded and 39,502 cases in 2015, while in 2014 there were a total of 44,591 cases recorded.
Despite the fact that eight out of every 1,000 residents were accused of a crime in 2018, the Assistant Attorney General believes that the steady decline in crime is an indication of the success of the policies put in place by the government and various law enforcement agencies.
“The decline in the crime rate clearly confirms the success and effectiveness of government procedures. The decrease is also a testament to the general government policies and the efforts by the authorities in charge of enforcing the law,” said Dr Al Shukaily.
“It is known that there is a link between crime rate and population rate, and it is common for an increase in population to lead to an increase in crime. However, when the crime rate declines despite the increase in population, then the rate becomes an affirmation to the success of the criminal justice policy of the country,” he added.
Muscat recorded more than a quarter of all the cases in 2018, amounting to 37 per cent.
Speaking at the annual press conference regarding global crime rates Dr Al Shukaily said, “Oman’s crime rate is significantly low compared to other countries. We all hope that this decrease continues, and this is a requirement and responsibility of everyone.”