Despite an expected rise in burglaries during August, Nicosia police are reporting a significant drop in such crimes for 2024.
The annual summer exodus from the capital typically leads to a spike in break-ins, as empty homes become targets for criminals. To counter this, police have stepped up patrols and issued public safety advice.
However, while 13 burglaries have been recorded in the first 20 days of August – many in the city’s outskirts – overall figures show a promising trend. In the first seven and a half months of 2024, there were 150 burglaries, compared to 339 in 2022 and 369 in 2023. This represents a potential 35% year-on-year decrease.
Police attribute the decline to increased crime-solving and prosecution rates. The Nicosia Criminal Investigation Department has made 56 arrests and filed 55 charges related to burglaries since January.
Recent high-profile cases include the arrest of two suspects linked to the theft of votive offerings from a church and the charging of a man with multiple burglaries in Aglantzia.
