Interior ministry hails dip in crime rate

AMMAN — Implementing the rule of law and embedding security and stability all across the Kingdom is the cornerstone of the Interior Ministry’s operations and those of the various security departments, Interior Minister Salameh Hammad said on Sunday. 

During a security meeting held at the ministry’s headquarters, Hammad said that “no one is above the law”, noting that all violators are prosecuted immediately in accordance with the pertinent legal and administrative procedures, the Jordan News Agency, Petra reported.

The minister explained that incidents and assaults, such as those that have occurred recently, happen all across the world, reaffirming that legal, administrative and security measures have been taken against the culprits who will be referred to the relevant legal authorities. 

He pointed out that 361 alleged lawbreakers had been arrested and referred for prosecution on Saturday, adding that despite Jordan’s population having tripled in a short period of time, the efforts of security authorities have remained unaffected, according to Petra. 

The Public Security Department (PSD) issued a statement on Saturday regarding videos circulated on social media, under assumptions that they had been filmed in Jordan, Hammad said, clarifying that in reality those videos had been taken in neighbouring Arab countries.

During the meeting, PSD Director Maj. Gen. Fadel Hmoud said that the number of crimes in the Kingdom fell from 24,244 in 2015 to 22,595 the following year despite growth in the population. 

Crime rates plummeted further the following years from 22,550 in 2017 to 24,654 in 2018, even though the population had grown to approximately 10.035 and 10.309 million respectively in 2017 and 2018 respectively. 

Hmoud underlined that the majority of the crimes in question were money-related, Petra reported. 

Amman Governor Saad Shihab said that there are 23 night clubs in Amman that are under constant monitoring and are legally required to close their doors at 3:30am, adding that those which operate past the designated hours are dealt with in adherence with the law.