Samoa's national crime rate recorded a 49 percent decrease in 2018, according to a recently released report compiled by police statisticians.
Samoa's Police Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil. Photo: RNZI/Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia
The report said the decrease reflected the effectiveness and efficiency of ongoing awareness programmes and other daily activities by Samoa Police.
But it also noted that year-on-year changes could also reflect factors such as a greater tendency by the public to report crimes, or improvements in data capture and analysis.
Police Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil said the force had been deterring crime by reminding the public of the consequences of their actions.
The Samoa Observer reported there was a 38 percent drop in traffic offences for the survey period.
However, the report points to an increase in sexual crimes.
The data shows that sexual crimes of all kinds are increasing, except for sexual cases involving girls under the age of 12.
The report said the increase was likely the outcome of improved systems carried out by government agencies to report these offences.