Almeria crime rates down

    The Fiscalia Superior de Andalucia, The regional public prosecutor's office, has released figured for crime rates in Andalucia for 2007.

    In Almeria last year 99,006 crimes were processed by the prosecution service, a decrease of 0.19 per cent from the year before after – a tiny drop but one that breaks the trend of the last ten years. Serious crime was down 2 per cent, with a significant decrease in drug trafficking, which the prosecution service attributes to the deterrent effect of the SIVE coastal vigilance system.

    Last year there were 56 cases of murder and manslaughter, one less than in 2006 but still a figure which the prosecution service considers excessive for a population such as Almeria's. Prosecutions for assault and battery were down by 4 per cent to 19,677 last year. The only type of crime on the rise is that against property with robberies up four per cent on the year before, of which robbery with violence went up 6.5 per cent.

    The prosecution service has stated that the figures are not necessarily an accurate reflection of the real situation as, despite improvements in recording crime through the use of computer technology, there is still some duplication of cases where no action is taken and there is some difference of criteria between judicial bodies for recording cases.