Spike in voyeurism at sports, swimming complexes as physical crime cases rise 4.1% in first six months

SINGAPORE: Voyeurism cases at sports and swimming complexes have climbed in the first half of 2024, with an increase to 11 cases from just one in the same period last year, the police said on Friday (Aug 23).
This spike in cases was part of a 4.1 per cent increase in physical crime reported from January to June this year, with 10,106 cases, up from 9,704.
The crimes of concern included shop theft, outrage of modesty, voyeurism and theft in dwelling, said the police, with an increase across all four types.
“Despite the increase in physical crime in the first half of 2024, the crime situation in Singapore remains under control. Notwithstanding our safe environment, it is important not to be complacent,” said Senior Assistant Commissioner Gregory Tan, director of the Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) operations department.
In the first half of this year, residential premises, shopping complexes and the public transport network had the most cases of voyeurism and outrage of modesty.
Voyeurism cases accounted for 2.5 per cent of physical crime cases with 257 cases, up from 229 in the same period last year.
A total of 708 cases of outrage of modesty were reported, compared with 697 last year, accounting for 7 per cent of overall physical crime. The culprits were known to the victims in the majority of cases.
“The SPF has been working with public transport operators and partners, including the Land Transport Authority and the NCPC (National Crime Prevention Council), to prominently display crime advisories within the public transport network,” said the police.
Crime advisories will be attached on the handrails of selected bus services by the end of this year to increase awareness of molestation on board buses, it added.
Efforts to raise awareness will also continue through community engagements with students and healthcare workers, to provide them with tips on protecting themselves.
Shop theft accounted for 20.1 per cent of total crime, forming the largest proportion of cases.
It increased from 1,849 to 2,027 cases, and remains one of the top offences for youths arrested in the first half of this year, said the police.
Superintendent Rudy Dzulkarnaen, assistant director of the SPF crime control division, reminded offenders that the punishment for shop theft can be severe.
“Even though they may not be caught when committing it, they will be caught eventually with the prevalence of CCTV (closed-circuit television) cameras in the retail outlets,” he said.
The penalty for theft is a jail term of up to seven years and a fine.
More retailers are using CCTV cameras in their stores under the police’s Shop Theft Awareness for Retailers (STAR) programme, which has 600 retailers onboard as of June.