Compared to the year before last, Troika was safer, crime rate decreased | Topic of the month

The report of the Prague III Police District Directorate comparing the state of crime in 2022 and 2023 showed a positive trend. Last year, 2,013 crimes were committed in the territory of Žižkov, parts of Vinohrad, Vysočany and Strašnice, which is 169 fewer than in the previous period. About a third of them were clarified. “The Žižkov police department shows the biggest decrease in moral crime, by 38.1%. Violent crimes fell by 21.4%, property crime by 12.8%. In the area of ​​the Jarov local department, there was the biggest decrease in moral crime, by 75%,” points out Josefa Jelínková, director of the Prague III Police District Directorate, which includes Prague 3, 8 and 9.

Compared to the neighboring Eight and Nine, Troika fared better. There were 2,963 crimes in Prague 8, and even 4,797 in Prague 9. The advantage of Prague 3 is its smaller area, but other factors also help. “Contrary to appearances, the amount of criminal acts does not depend on the number of inhabitants, but on a number of different social aspects. “Prague 3 is not burdened with social and cultural events as much as other city districts, and there is also a smaller number of problem centers, such as large multi-functional shopping areas,” explains Jelínková.

Mayor Michal Vronský also adds one argument: “The feeling of safety is also influenced by the quality of public space and the care we give it.” It’s good to see it on Tachovský náměstí, where after the revitalization there are many more families and recreational athletes.” This is also one of the reasons why the town hall is renovating the ground floor of the panel houses in Táboritská and Kubelíkova streets. “The result will be a more pleasant public space, in the case of Kubelíkova, several new shops will even be created instead of a dark arcade,” adds Vronský. “For the sake of security, the ruling coalition should also change the policy of allocating apartments, stop supporting problematic people and instead offer professional apartments to new police officers who will then help us in the local district,” suggests opposition representative Mojmír Mikuláš. According to him, the locals also face harassment from homeless people, beggars and drug addicts. “Unfortunately, this is the everyday reality on the streets, in parks or public transport,” he says. The Lipanská stop is problematic, for example, which dozens of troublemakers have chosen as their base. “We devote ourselves intensively to the station. The situation on the spot has improved, but unfortunately these people return after a certain period of time,” explains the director of the Prague 3 Municipal Police, Dušan Machoň.

Among property crimes, pickpocketing led the way — there were 92 of them last year, 76 the year before. 35 cars disappeared without the owners’ knowledge, which is 9 more than the year before, and 20 bicycles. The year before, sporty thieves took twice as many. There were also fewer burglaries of flats in the period under review — crime investigators solved 51 cases, compared to 123 a year earlier. break-ins into other objects, such as buildings and construction cells,” the police statisticians summarize the data found, noting that the majority have stagnated or declined. The exception is the cases of family houses being robbed, of which there were 9 last year and only one the year before. There were also three robberies in financial institutions, while there were none the year before.

There were 72 cases of violent crime involving murder, robbery, abuse or dangerous threats last year, up from 10 the year before. The biggest decrease is in robberies — there were 6 of them instead of the previous 18. In addition, there were 29 cases of intentional bodily harm, 11 of dangerous threats, 7 of blackmail and 4 of mistreatment of a trusted person. Last year’s 4 murders also fall into the category of the most serious crimes, none happened here in 2022.

Reviews of moral offenses show a favorable trend. For example, the number of rapes decreased, which was 7 last year, compared to 13 the year before. “As in the previous year, there was no case of spreading pornography, threats of sexually transmitted diseases or intentional injury caused by a contagious human disease and pimping last year. Compared to 2022, not a single case of sexual abuse was recorded,” states the police report.