Some 429,000 crimes were reported in Switzerland last year, a drop of 170,000 compared to 2012, according to a report by the Federal Statistical Office.
The number of crimes committed in the Alpine nation has been declining over the last five years, they said.
Burglaries, representing more than two-thirds of all criminal offences in Switzerland, were down 6% over the previous year.
Theft not including stolen cars dropped by 15% and fraud by 16%.
More police threats, cybercrime
Despite the overall downward trend, there were more criminal offences of violence and threats against police last year, with 3,000 such offences registered by authorities in 2017. But the increase could be related a more restrictive cantonal policing policy, according to the Conference of Cantonal Police Directors.External link
Cybercrime increased as well, with 9% more cases of unauthorised data collection and 4% more cases of fraudulent misuse of an IT system having been reported.
Crimes by non-residents also fall
The report also found that the number of crimes committed by foreigners without a residence permit in Switzerland fell by roughly 5%. A large majority of crimes, 79%, were committed by people with permanent residency, including both Swiss and foreign nationals.
In a statementExternal link, the Conference of Cantonal Police Directors described the report’s findings as “extremely positive”. It added that such a reduction in crime was particularly remarkable “in light of the demanding and increasingly complex security situation” that Switzerland faces.
More
More
Crime perception: Swiss feel safer from violence
This content was published on
The threat of violent crime has receded in the last five years, with fewer people reporting that they have been the victim of aggression.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
This content was published on
A report presented by the cantonal justice and police directors on Tuesday showed a rise in criminal activity since 2004, when the last major study on crimes was carried out. “Although Switzerland had the lowest crime rate [in Europe] in 1988, today’s crime rate is to a large extent aligning itself with the percentages in…
Domestic violence is ‘fairly widespread’ in Switzerland
This content was published on
One in seven victims were minors, and children were present in half of all police interventions. A total of 9,195 people were charged by the police. Last year, 36 people were killed during domestic violence incidents, including eight children of pre-school age. Men were responsible for three out of four incidents (78%), the office said.…
Cracking down on football and ice hockey hooligans
This content was published on
The recommendations by the justice and police directors of the 26 cantons, published on Wednesday, call for a joint implementation of procedures to help identify violent troublemakers in and around sports stadiums and impose sanctions. The announcement comes two weeks after the kick-off of the Swiss football championship. The ice hockey season is due to…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.