"Say hello to my little friend!"

The report quotes some interesting figures related to criminal cases that took place in China during the first six months of 2005. Let's have a look:

- The total amount of criminal cases was 2,13 million (a decrease of 1,2% if compared with the same period last year);
- Criminal cases cracked by investigators amount to more than 85,000 (no comparative data were given);

The Public Security report also highlighted five important trends in criminal activities:

1. Criminals are targeting juicier goals: richer people or entities;
2. Car theft is on the rise: during the first half of the year 48,000 cases were filed nationwide, an increase of 15,5% over the same period in 2004;
3. Criminal cases happen more often in public spaces: meaning that the streets are becoming less safe than they used to be;
4. The average age of criminals is lowering: more kids are involved in illegal activities;
5. New types of criminal activities are emerging: blackmailing, cons, and prostitution via the Web.

Other interesting statistics highlighted in the report:

Arson: 4,585 cases (21,3% decrease over the same period last year)
Bombing: 543 cases (17,7% decrease)
Murders: 11,000 cases (13,6% decrease )
Rape: 15,000 cases (5,8% decrease)
Assault and battery: 65,000 cases (0,1% decrease)

Scary stuff! Check out how many traffic accidents happened in this country from January to June 2005:

Traffic accidents: 229,000
Traffic deaths: 46,000
Traffic injuries: 236,000

The above means that every 24 hours there are 1,265 accidents, 254 people dead, and 1,303 people injured on the streets!

So, car thieves, maybe you should change your focus on a safer type of commodity.