The number of crimes committed in 2020 went down by a whopping 16 per cent, official figures published Saturday showed, as the impact of the pandemic seems to have left its mark on criminality. 

There were 25.4 crimes for every 1,000 people in 2020, down from 42 crimes per 1,000 in 2015, the government's annual crime statistics report showed.  

But while the government welcomed the figure, saying the crime rate has now been on a downward trend for the past four years, it also acknowledged 2020 was an extraordinary year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Technology crime up 44 per cent

In fact, though the overall rate went down, crimes related to computer use and domestic violence shot up.

Technology-related crimes shot up by 44 per cent, the figures show, while domestic violence went up by 24 per cent. This, however, was expected since people spent more time at home while the country was under quasi-lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

In comments during a press conference to unveil the annual report, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said experts had told the police to expect spikes in the number of crimes committed as a result of the pandemic and the disruptions it brought about. This, however, was not the case, he said, something which was a result of the police shifting their focus to prevention. 

There were more officers working on the ground, he said, as the force continued to beef up its community policing efforts.

Tourism drop meant fewer criminal opportunities 

Criminologist Saviour Formosa, who compiled the report, confirmed that despite the pandemic the changes reflect a downward trend that had also been registered in previous years. 

He also acknowledged the lack of tourists on the island helped keep crime rates down, especially since criminals act “when they see an opportunity” and in 2020 there were fewer such opportunities. 

Formosa said the lack of tourists provided a unique chance for researchers to properly look at what the situation in society is, without the influence of others. This will be useful information for when there are more people on the island, he said.