Translated from the Files of FaaSamoa. Crime in Samoa decreased by 38% over the recent Christmas and New Year festive season, compared to the same time last year.
This was confirmed by Deputy Police Commissioner Papalii Monalisa Tiai-Keti at this year’s first press conference with local media held on Wednesday.
Only 81 arrests were made in the period between 23 December 2022 and 03 January 2023.
There has been a 38% drop to 81 from the 131 arrests of the same time last year. The year before that in 2021, there were 170 arrests for the same period.
“There were 69 arrests made in Upolu and 12 in Savaii,” said Papalii, “and the majority of the arrests were male.”
The Deputy Commissioner has attributed the huge drop in incidents of crime to the increased service provided by police officers across all divisions of SPPCS.
Of the arrests, incidents within families and domestic disputes were on top of the list followed by alcohol related incidents, assault and dangerous driving.
“O le o’nanā ma fe’eseesea’iga i totonu o aiga, fa’aoolima, ma le ave taavale faatamala, sa sili ona aafia ai lo tatou atunuu.”
There were five deaths over the Festive Season.
Before Christmas a 39-year-old man of Palisi was taken into custody accused of murder after the death of his 12 year old son.
Also before Christmas a former police officer was charged in relation to the fatal shooting of an off-duty police officer, Mele Segisolo Lapana in a crime of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).
A father from Asau died when his vehicle veered off the road and fell to a deep drop roadside cliff at Fagafau in Savaii.
In two alcohol related incidents, a 20-year-old boy was charged with the murder of a 28-year old man in the early hours of Christmas Sunday morning and on New Year’s, a 21-year-old youth was arrested and charged for the death of a 47-year-old Laulii father who was the husband of his aunty.
