CNMI Department of Corrections Photo: RNZ Pacific / Mark Rabago
Major crime statistics in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) decreased in 2024 compared to 2023, according to the Department of Public Safety (DPS).
According to the CNMI's DPS Fiscal Year 2024 Citizen-Centric Report, the most common crime committed in the US territory was disturbing the peace, with 1049 cases compared to 2640 cases the year prior.
Theft cases also went down, from 931 in 2023 to 347 in 2024.
Assault and battery and domestic violence cases also showed a decline.
However, there was a spike in cases for misuse of bad checks, man'amko/elderly abuse, contempt of court, and assault of an officer were recorded in 2024.
Misuse of bad checks went up from 1 to 20, man'amko/elderly abuse from 1 to 5 cases, contempt of court from 9 to 11 cases in the past fiscal years, and assault of an officer from 1 to 3.
Other crime stats that saw plunged from fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2024, according to DPS, are as follows:
- Vandalism: down 77.1% from 149 to 34
- Sexual assault: down 22.2% from 9 to 7
- Sexual abuse of a minor: down 75.4% from 57 to 14
- Resisting arrest: down 35.7% from 14 to 9
- Making a terroristic threat: down 80% from 5 to 1
- Illegal possession of controlled substance: down 45.2% from 42 to 23
- Forgery: down 40% from 5 to 3
- Criminal mischief: down 64.8% from 125 to 44
- Contempt: down 81.1% from 27 to 5
- Child abuse/neglect: down 53.8% from 78 to 36
- Burglary: down 59.2% from 280 to 114
- Assault with a dangerous weapon: down 53.1% from 60 to 34
- Assault: down 45.8% from 146 to 7
DPS assistant chief of police and acting public information officer Simon Manacop attributed the decreases in most criminal indices to a couple of factors.
"I would say it might have been the austerity measures that kicked in as maybe people didn't have much income to, I don't want to say play with, but for them to actually spend more time out. SO, they stay at home," he said.
"Also, another might be the community not being able to spend more on drug-related activities, weighing the needs and the wants.
"They might have given the option that they want to save more instead," he added.
