2012 is a relatively safe bet, police fatality stats show

Crime rates dropped across the board during the first eight months of 2012, according to statistics released by Israel Police on Sunday.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Commissioner Yohanan Danino presented data showing that overall, crime rates were down 5 percent so far this year.

Compared to the stats for 2011, this year saw a dramatic drop in murders (20%), attempted murders (17%) and shootings (24%). At the same time there were more robberies, which police said was attributable to increased theft of mobile devices. The police did not provide precise data on theft rates.

Police also said there was a significant drop (31%) in fatal road accidents; 2012 had the lowest rate of auto fatalities in a decade. They attributed the decrease to new traffic enforcement regulations and methods, including targeting repeat offenders and cracking down on drunk driving.

Overall, police said there was a marked drop in crime rates for the Arab sector, which saw a 22% decline in murders and a 15% increase in solved murder cases, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called “revolutionary.”