Car theft on the rise
צילום: שאול גולן
More rape, less murder
Juvenile delinquency, car theft cases also on the rise, according to Israel Police statistics
TEL AVIV - Rape, juvenile delinquency, and car theft rose sharply last year, but the number of murders dropped, according to Israel Police statistics.
The number of rape cases increased by nearly 16 percent; 1,306 rape-related incidents were reported in 2004, as opposed to 1,127 in 2003.
תאונה תאונת דרכים (צילום: רוני שיצר)
Car theft cases have also increased by nearly 20 percent: In 2003, some 25,800 cases were reported, while more than 30,000 cars were stolen in 2004.
The number of robberies has also increased by some 10 percent, and apartment-burglary cases have risen by 11 percent; 40,000 cases of burglary were reported in 2004, as opposed to about 36,000 in 2003.
2004 has also seen a sharp rise in teenage crime: Cases involving damage to property increased by 12 percent, and drug-related offenses grew by 8 percent.
However, the number of offences related to major organized crime has dropped in 2004, and the number of murders has also dropped by nearly percent, from 165 in 2003 to 139 in 2004.
More fatalities from car accidents, fewer from terror
Although the number of car accidents declined in 2004, the number of car accident fatalities grew by close to 5 percent; 511 people died in car accidents in 2004, as opposed to 488 people in 2003.
The number of terror-related deaths dropped by a whopping 56 percent in 2004; 117 people were killed in terror attacks in 2004, while the number reached 213 in 2003.
2004 has also seen a 26 percent drop in the number of suicide bombings (from 41 to 30), but Palestinian Qassam rocket attacks on Israeli communities grew by 71 percent; 132 rockets were fired at Israel in 2003, and 227 were fired during 2004.
