A report by the Beirut-based research firm, Information International, has revealed new statistics on crime in Lebanon.
The report indicates that during the first 3 months of 2021, Lebanon recorded an overall increase in crime, especially murders and thefts, compared to the same period of 2020.
Car theft cases rose by 8.8% in the said period: In the first quarter (Q1) of 2020, 192 stolen cars were reported, whereas 209 were reported in the first quarter of 2021 — an increase of 17 cases.
Thefts increased much more dramatically in the same period (550 in Q1 2020, 1,439 in Q1 2021); there were 889 (162%) more thefts in Q1 2021 than in Q1 2020.
Murder crimes, on the other hand, went up by 2.4%; only 1 more murder case was registered in Q1 2021 (42) than in Q1 2020 (41), as per the report.
Other incidents
Apart from crime, the report sheds some light on noteworthy statistical shifts in some incident types during the same period.
For instance, cases of death by suicide went down by 22% in the period targeted by the report, from 41 cases in Q1 2020 to 32 cases in Q1 2021.
Additionally, car accidents declined by 2.2% between the two quarters, from 719 in Q1 2020 to 703 in Q1 2021 — a decline of 16 cases.
However, the number of deaths caused by car accidents rose by 10.5% in the same period, from 76 to 84, whereas the number of injuries dropped from 906 to 766 (15.4%).
The report attributes the decline in car accidents to the pandemic-induced lockdown and economic stagnancy.
