Law and order situation in Hong Kong in 2023
The overall number of crimes reported in 2023 was 90 276 cases, representing an increase of 28.9% when compared with 70 048 cases in 2022. The upsurge was mainly attributed to the increase in deception cases. The overall detection rate was 31.1%. Leaving deception cases aside, the detection rate was 46.2%.
It was noteworthy that in the first half of 2022 amid the epidemic, a number of traditional crime figures dropped to a particularly low level, some of which even hit a record low. As the society resumed normalcy in 2023, most traditional crimes recorded an increase when compared with 2022, but quite a number of them registered a fairly significant decrease when compared with 2018, the year before the outbreak of the "black-clad violence" and the epidemic.
In 2023, the number of some traditional crimes was relatively low and detection rate was at its highest level in years. Among them, the detection rate of robbery and arson cases even hit a record high of 82.5% and 48.4% respectively, and burglary cases reached 37.4%, which was the second highest on record. Some serious crimes of great public concerns were swiftly detected by Police.