MIA Reveals Latest Road Accident & Crime Statistics

The statistics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia, provided by the non-governmental organization Georgian Alliance for Safe Roads, show that in January-February 2017, 905 traffic accidents were recorded. These accidents left 84 people dead, including five teenage victims.

During those two months, in total 1,277 people were injured in car accidents; 265 were pedestrians, among them 136 teenagers.

Last year’s official crime statistics, released by the deputy Interior Minister, Shalva Khutsishvili, show that in 2016 a total of 35,997 crimes were reported in the country and of these, 20,661 (57.4 percent) were solved. The rate of solved crimes decreased by 2.94 percent in 2016 compared to 2015.

The presentation of the above information was held on Friday at the Joint Operations Center in Tbilisi. The event was attended by the non-governmental sector and journalists.

The report says that 40.5 percent of crimes took place in the capital, 8.3 percent in Kvemo Kartli, 3.1 percent in Guria, 10.8 percent in Adjara, 8.9 percent in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, 10.5 percent in Imereti, 3.2 percent in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, 5.4 percent in Shida Kartli, 6.5 percent in Kakheti, 2.7 percent in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, and 0.1 percent in Abkhazia.

The Interior Ministry says that the number of certain categories of crimes increased in 2016. According to the official information, the number of robberies, burglaries, premeditated inflictions of injury to human health, illegal purchases or possession of firearms, hooliganism and suicide attempts decreased in 2016 compared to the statistics of 2015.

The cases of domestic violence; theft; the purchase, possession or sale of drugs; cyber-crimes; murders and possession of cold weapons increased last year.

The five most commonly reported crimes of 2016 in Georgia were: crimes against property, drug-related offences, crimes against health, transport crimes and crimes against normal government functionality.

The rate of crimes committed by foreign citizens on the territory of Georgia decreased in 2016 compared to 2015, from 943 in 2015 to 661 in 2016.

The top ten list of origin countries of those who committed crimes in Georgia, besides Georgia, in 2016:

1. Turkey – 25 percent

2. Russia – 16 percent

3. Azerbaijan – 15 percent

4. Armenia – 14 percent

5. Iran - 5 percent

6. Uzbekistan – 4 percent

7. Ukraine – 3 percent

8. China – 2 percent

9. Nigeria – 2 percent

10. Bangladesh – 1 percent

The Ministry of Internal Affairs presents the annual crime statistics every spring.

Thea Morrison