Crime rates decrease by 11 pct in Istanbul: Governor

ISTANBUL

The crime rate in Istanbul has decreased by 11 percent compared to the previous year, Governor Davut Gül has said, citing that his office has taken serious measures to further reduce crime in the city.

Even though expecting "no crime at all in a city hosting nearly 16 million people is an unrealistic target,” the security forces in Istanbul managed to decrease the crime rate at significant levels and to illuminate nearly all incidents and solve them, Gül noted during a press conference in Istanbul’s Fatih district on Aug. 5.

“There are no unsolved cases, especially murders, in the city. We have observed a decrease in crime incidents in the last four years. Compared to the previous year, we have seen an 11 percent decrease in the crime rate,” Gül said.

On the question regarding the high crime rate in the Esenyurt district that has come to the agenda after a shop raid in which two people were killed on July 29, Gül stated that the rate of crime in all districts of the city is comparatively close, citing that the figure in Esenyurt decreased by 9 percent compared to last year.

With camera footage of the incident going viral, the mainstream media widely covered the attack shedding light on the increasing crime rate in Esenyurt, which has gained a notorious reputation over the years. The incident has also brought the issue of individual armament to the country's agenda once again.

Gül also emphasized that the governor’s office has taken urgent measures regarding children begging in Istanbul streets, noting that this issue will soon be removed from Istanbul's agenda.

He mentioned that the primary solution for begging children is addressing their families' economic problems, and if a child is found begging again despite that, legal action will be taken against the family, and the child will be placed under state protection.

If a begging child is determined to be a foreigner, both the child and the family will be deported, Gül added.