Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak said on Wednesday that as criminal methods continue to evolve, property-related crimes, telecommunications fraud and cybercrimes are expected to remain prevalent this year, and the security sector will further optimise policing strategies and implement more targeted measures to prevent and combat crime, aiming to keep the increase in the number of crimes below 6 percent this year.
Addressing a current affairs phone-in programme, Ou Mun Gwong Cheung, hosted by Ou Mun Tin Toi – the Chinese-language radio channel of public broadcaster TDM, Wong extended Chinese New Year (CNY) greetings to residents, wishing that Macau remain a safe and harmonious environment for all.
He highlighted the significant achievements in crime prevention and maintaining social order last year, noting that Macau’s overall public security remained stable, even though the total number of reported crimes reached nearly 14,300 last year, a 6 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Wong underlined that with the anticipated surge in visitor arrivals this year, a further rise in crime was inevitable due to Macau’s increased population density, adding that although the growth rate of telecommunications fraud and cybercrimes has somewhat been curbed, these crimes could be expected to continue rising due to ever-evolving criminal tactics.
Wong stressed that maintaining national security is a constitutional responsibility of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), and the government will continue to prevent, investigate, and deter crimes that endanger national security, while improving legal systems and operational mechanisms to enhance Macau’s capacity to safeguard national security.
In 2023, the Legislative Assembly (AL) passed the National Security Law, which Wong described as “a new starting point rather than an endpoint”, adding that the government will continue to build and refine legal and institutional mechanisms in accordance with the law, strengthen law enforcement, and provide ongoing professional training, with activities such as the recent National Security Education Exhibition, essay competitions for secondary and university students, and short video contests, also scheduled to be held this year.
This handout photo provided by the Government Information Bureau (GCS) shows Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak (left) presiding over the graduation ceremony of the 32nd Training Programme for Police Cadets at the Academy of Public Security Forces in Coloane Village last November.
