Ministry of Interior (MoI) is reportedly planning to introduce advanced techniques and cutting-edge technology to reduce the increasing number of violent crimes being reported in recent times. First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Acting Minister of Defense Sheikh Talal Al-Khalid has called on senior security leaders to develop new sophisticated security plans and unconventional strategies to confront the phenomenon of violence and criminal behavior in society.
According to MoI statistics the country witnessed around 255 murders since 2012, or over two murders each month, most of which were over insignificant issues. Records also show that several factors were behind the recent spate in lethal crimes, including an increase in drug abuse among young people, the absence of oversight, family disintegration, the spread and ease of obtaining knives and firearms, the negative impact of social networking sites, the absence of appropriate legal deterrents, and the recklessness of some young people.
Additionally the use of ‘wasta’ was found to be interfering with the implementation of law, with political and other influences being applied to suppress the registering of cases and preventing or reducing punishment for perpetrators of violent crimes.
Sources at MoI add that among the motivations that lead to many violent crimes were revenge and quarrels over personal or family disputes, financial causes, theft, drug disputes and mental illness, in addition to disputes and marital and family problems.
The ministry has undertaken a number of steps to deter the rise in violent crimes, including intensification of security presence and increase in checkpoints and patrols, especially in areas of high risk, as well as monitoring the behavior of those who have been recently released from prison, securing sites holding events and celebrations, raising the level of readiness to face emergency crises, raising awareness of the seriousness of crime and ways to report it among the public through advertisements, and seminars in schools and universities, and strengthening the role of community police to confront wrong behaviors.
There is clearly a need for all concerned authorities to coordinate and investigate the causes of these crimes and put an end to them and address their motives, as the increase in crime rates in Kuwait ts a matter of surprise, especially as they are foreign and alien to Kuwaiti society, and indicate the influence of unregulated social media platforms that motivate these behaviors.
A related statistics by the Ministry of Justice showed that 976 cases of murder and self-assault are pending before the courts during the past 16 months, with 819 cases registered in 2022 and additional 157 cases registered during the first quarter of 2023.
