The crime rate has been consistently falling for the past five years and is now at 1998 levels, the Home Affairs Ministry said today.

It was reacting to a Labour Party statement which expressed concern over crime, particularly in view of the attempted bank van robbery and the more recent robbery at Casino' di Venezia.

The ministry said that last year, general theft was down 12 per cent compared to the previous year. The total crime rate was down 14 per cent.

Crime had dropped 34 per cent between 2009 and 2005, the ministry said.

It insisted that it was this yardstick that was used to measure the effectiveness of the forces of law and order, and now individual episodes. Furthermore, such episodes should not be used for political purposes, particularly when investigations were under way.

The ministry said investment in the police force had continued over the past few months with the purchase of new motorcycles, a digital photo lab and, soon, the installation of new DND digital profiling equipment.

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