Filenews 22 February 2025 - by Michalis Hadjivassilis
A small but significant increase in crime in Cyprus was recorded in 2024 compared to 2023, with Limassol holding the lead, followed by Nicosia. The Achilles' heel of the Police in terms of detection continues over time to identify the perpetrators behind arson and bombings.
An important element recorded in relation to crime is the increase in robberies in Limassol, due to the repeated attacks against delivery men committed in the last three months of '24. There is an increase in thefts and kidnappings. There is a slight decrease in murders. It is indicative that out of five murders that occurred in 2023 in Limassol, last year three were recorded. A characteristic element of the crime was also the cases of violence in the family, which until 2023 were considered as minor offences. Since last year, they have been upgraded to serious crime and amounted to 931, with most reported in the Nicosia district.
According to statistics issued by the Police Bureau of Statistics and Mapping, for the past year, 6014 serious crimes were reported compared to 5649 in 2023, an increase of 365 cases or 6.5%. As far as the detection rate is concerned, this amounted to 79.7% compared to 76.5% in '23.
The biggest problem facing the police is property crimes and drug cases, involving more than 2,000 offences. The crime picture for 2024 as written through the numbers is:
In 2024 we had nine murders which are believed to have been solved in their entirety compared to 10 committed in 2023 of which eight were solved. As for attempted murders, last year there were 14 of which 12 were solved compared to 15 in '23, 12 of which were solved. An increase was recorded last year in cases of rape and attempted rape, from 36 reported in 2023, last year to 40. On the contrary, a decrease is recorded in cases of arson and attempted arson. Specifically, in 2024 we had 167 of which 59 were solved, at a rate of 35.3%, while in 2023 these cases amounted to 194 and only 34 were solved, with the percentage amounting to only 17.5%.
The cases of robberies show an increase, as mentioned above, which is attributed to the frequent attacks against fast food distributors mainly in Limassol and then in Nicosia and Larnaca. While in '23 there were 63 robberies of which 33 were solved at a rate of 53.2%, last year the cases amounted to 93 of which 65 were solved, a percentage of 69.9%.
As far as drug cases are concerned, they move around the same numbers every year. In 2023, 1099 cases were investigated of which 1035 were solved, in '24 these decreased to 1079 of which 1014 reached the Courts. The weak point of the Police lies in the investigation of cases of causing destruction with explosives, i.e. bomb explosions mainly under vehicles and outside premises. Coincidentally, in 2023 and 2024 exactly the same cases were investigated, namely 40, of which last year four were considered solved compared to 11 in '23.
Theft cases show an increase compared to 2023, reaching 632 of which 306 were detected compared to the previous year when 583 were reported, of which 269 were solved. Also, 130 cases of causing grievous bodily harm were recorded last year, compared to 117 in 2023, while for the crime of kidnapping the cases show an increase from 29 in '23 to 35 in '24.
For the offence of sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, the special police office dealt with 79 cases last year, of which 71 were solved, while last year 88 cases were reported with 71 going to court.
931 cases of family violence
Particular attention is focused on the data concerning the table on cases of domestic violence, which until 2023 were considered as minor offences. Since last year, the police have changed tactics and classified these cases as serious crime. A total of 931 cases were reported in 2024, of which 923 were solved. By district the following were investigated: Nicosia 226, Limassol 221, Larnaka 178, Paphos another 89, Famagusta 202 and Morphou district 15.
Over 1,000 crimes in Paphos and Larnaca
Limassol leads the way in crime with a small difference from the Nicosia district, while in general there is a worrying picture because criminal behaviors are not decreasing.
According to police data, 1443 serious crimes were reported in Nicosia last year, of which 1156 were solved, compared to 1332 in 2023, i.e. an increase of 111 cases or 8.3%.
In Limassol, 1474 cases were opened in '24 compared to 1416 in '23, an increase of 58 cases or a percentage of 4.1% is recorded. The increase mainly concerns robbery cases. Larnaca recorded an increase of 85 cases of serious crime, from 940 in 2023 last year to 1025.
Crime increased by 93 cases in the Pafos district, which records 1025 cases of serious crime for 2024, while in '23 998 were reported. Famagusta also recorded an increase in crime by 66 cases. From the 791 employed by the local Police in 2023, last year they amounted to 857, an increase of 8.3%. Finally, the free province of Morphou is the only one that shows a decrease in crime by 27.9%, since from 172 cases in 2023 last year they decreased to 124.
The data show that the areas with the real biggest crime problem are Paphos and Larnaka in relation to the population ratio. Both of these districts with populations below 100,000 record more than a thousand serious crimes per year, compared to Nicosia and Limassol with a much larger population of just 400 cases apart. It is for this reason that crime should be mapped, local ICFs strengthened and at the same time the causes of the increase in crime should be studied.
