The crime rate in Oman is low [1] [2] compared to other industrialized countries. [2] Incidents of serious crime are rare in the country. Incidents of petty crime are occasionally reported, including burglary and theft of property of foreign tourists. [3] The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) describes the law and order situation in Oman as "generally good". [4] Incidence of street crime is low. Violent crime occurs, but is extremely low compared to the rest of the Middle East. [5]
Oman is a destination point for men and women mainly from South Asian nations like Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan who migrate willingly, but some of whom become victims of trafficking when subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers. Mistreatment includes non-payment of wages, restrictions on movement and withholding of passports, threats, and physical or sexual abuse. Oman is also a destination point for women trafficked from Asia, Eastern Europe and North Africa for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. [6]
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Government of Australia and the FCO reported there are incidents where individuals presenting themselves as employees of the Ministry of Health have called private houses offering vaccinations against avian influenza (commonly known as Bird flu). But the Ministry of Health does not provide any service like this. Drugs are given to people as "vaccines" to make them unconscious and then they are robbed. [3] [4]
The threat of terrorism in Oman is one of the lowest in the world. The Institute for Economics and Peace ranks the impact of terrorism in Oman as "0" on the Global Terrorism Index (meaning no impact of terrorism), Oman is the only Persian Gulf or Middle East country to rank as such. [7] Uncovered Al-Qaeda and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant reports also make no reference to any successful recruitment in Oman. [8]
Cannabis is illegal in Oman. Nevertheless Oman is a transit country for cannabis coming from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. [9]
Drug trafficking in general is low. However the amount of seized heroin in 1995 was 6.2 kg which was an increase compared to 1 kg in 1994. Oman has established an Inter-ministerial committee for the purpose of overseeing drug framework matters. The country has a well-organized Drug Control Unit to deal with drug trafficking. Oman is a party of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971). [10]
According to Interpol data, criminal homicide rate in Oman decreased from 0.94 to 0.91 per 100,000 population between 1995 and 2000. It was a decrease of 3.2%. The rate of rape also decreased by 16.4%. But rate of robbery increased by 108.1%. While the rate of robbery was 1.24 per 100,000 population in 1995, it increased to 2.58 per 100,000 population in 2000. Similarly the rate of aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft increased by 10.7%, 57.7%, 317.8% and 112.2% respectively. [2]
Crime in Canada is generally considered low overall. Under the Canadian constitution, the power to establish criminal law and rules of investigation is vested in the federal Parliament. The provinces share responsibility for law enforcement, and while the power to prosecute criminal offences is assigned to the federal government, responsibility for prosecutions is delegated to the provinces for most types of criminal offences. Laws and sentencing guidelines are uniform throughout the country, but provinces vary in their level of enforcement.
Crime in Western Australia is tackled by the Western Australia Police and the Western Australian legal system.
Crime has been recorded in the United States since its founding and has fluctuated significantly over time, with a sharp rise after 1900 and reaching a broad bulging peak between the 1970s and early 1990s. After 1992, crime rates have generally trended downwards each year, with the exceptions of a slight increase in property crimes in 2001 and increases in violent crimes in 2005-2006, 2014-2016 and 2020-2021. While official federal crime data beginning in 2021 has a wide margin of error due to the incomplete adoption of the National Incident-Based Reporting System by government agencies, federal data for 2020-2021 and limited data from select U.S. cities collected by the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice showed significantly elevated rates of homicide and motor vehicle theft in 2020-2022. Although overall crime rates have fallen far below the peak of crime seen in the United States during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the homicide rate in the U.S. has remained high, relative to other "high income"/developed nations, with eight major U.S. cities ranked among the 50 cities with the highest homicide rate in the world in 2022. The aggregate cost of crime in the United States is significant, with an estimated value of $4.9 trillion reported in 2021. Data from the first half of 2023, from government and private sector sources show that the murder rate has dropped, as much as 12% in as many as 90 cities across the United States. The drop in homicide rates is not uniform across the country however, with some cities such as Memphis, TN, showing an uptick in murder rates.
Crime in India has been recorded since the British Raj, with comprehensive statistics now compiled annually by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), under the Ministry of Home Affairs (India).
Crime rates in Portugal are generally low, and most crimes are non-violent. Portugal's security and peace indicators compare favourably to those of other countries; According to the Institute for Economics and Peace's 2022 Global Peace Index report, Portugal ranks as the 6th most peaceful country in the world.
Crime in Russia refers to the multivalent issues of organized crime, extensive political and police corruption, and all aspects of criminality at play in Russia. Violent crime in Siberia is much more apparent than in Western Russia.
Despite a reportedly low crime rate in China, crime still occurs in various forms. The Chinese government does not release exact unified statistics on crime rates and the rate of criminal offending due to such information being considered politically sensitive. Scarce official statistics released are the subject of much academic debate due to allegations of statistical fabrication, under-reporting and corruption. The illegal drug trade in China is a significant driver of violent crime, including murder.
Bhutan has a low crime rate. Incidents of petty crime are occasionally reported in the country. Violent crime is very uncommon. Some cases of drug abuse are reported; alcohol abuse is a problem. But in general, drug trafficking is low. The most serious threat to Bhutan's security is terrorism by different terrorist groups from neighboring countries illegally camped in the nation.
According to the Israel Police, the general crime rate dropped in 2020, while cyber crimes, domestic violence and sexual abuse incidents rose.
Crime in Qatar is very low compared to industrialized nations. Petty crime such as pickpocketing and bag snatching does occur, but is extremely uncommon. Although incidents of violence are generally considered to be rare, violence has occurred more frequently amid an increase in the population of Doha, the capital and largest city of Qatar, and economic pressures on expatriate workers over the last few years.
Crime in the Maldives ranks from low to moderate, but crime rates in the country have increased significantly in recent years. Incidents of theft on beaches or in hotels do occur. Juvenile delinquency is a growing problem in the Maldives. According to the data available from the Ministry of Defence and National Security, there has been an increase in petty crime in the country. In 1992, 169 cases of petty crime were reported, while the number was 462 in 1996. The number of sentenced persons under the age of 19 also increased from 391 in 1988 to 512 in 1998. Fraud examiner Peter Lilley in his book Dirty Dealing writes that money laundering is not a significant problem in the Maldives.
Crime in Paraguay has increased in recent years with criminals often targeting those thought to be wealthy. Although most crime in Paraguay is nonviolent, there has been an increase in the use of weapons and there have been incidents where extreme violence has been used.
Crime in Atlanta, Georgia is above the national median and has been a major problem for the city since the middle 20th century.
Crime in Minnesota encompasses a wide range of unlawful activities that occur within the state, regulated by both state and federal laws. While crime rates in Minnesota are generally below the national average, certain areas and types of crime have garnered public attention.
Crime in Greece is combated by the Hellenic Police and other agencies.
Crime in Germany is handled by the German police forces and other agencies.
Namibia is located in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that has some of the highest crime rates in the world. Contributing factors are for instance poverty, a low level of development, and huge social and economic disadvantages. For example, according to government statistics, the unemployment rate reached 28.1% in 2014; in 2008, it was 51.2%.
Crime in Hong Kong is present in various forms. The most common crimes are thefts, assaults, vandalism, burglaries, drug offenses, sex trafficking, and triad-related crimes.
This article discusses crime in Suriname.
Crime in Latvia is relatively low, by global standards, especially compared to previous years, when it was named the "crime capital of Europe" by Forbes in 2008. The homicide rate in Latvia was 4.9 per 100,000 people in 2020, a sharp drop from 10 cases per 100,000 people in 2000, and has been steadily decreasing, but has seen recent increases. The United States Department of State has assessed Latvia's security rating as "medium", with a moderate crime rate. In recent times, crime has been increasing, particularly due to many Latvians stranded because of the COVID-19 pandemic returning to Latvia and choosing to commit crime. According to Interpol, Latvia is considered an attractive place for regional and organized criminals involved in drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking, or smuggling. According to the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, a third of all women in Latvia have suffered some form of sexual violence or rape while men are subjected to violence outside the family.
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