Security measures implemented to tackle crime in Morocco
2007-12-02
With crime on the rise in Morocco’s cities, the government has acted to reassure the public by adopting a raft of new security measures.
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 02/12/07
 [Sarah Touahri] Benmoussa said the government has stepped up police efforts to guarantee a police presence throughout the country. |
Crime in Morocco has risen slightly, according to the latest statistics released by the Interior Ministry. In the first few months of 2007 it was up 13% over the same period in 2006. Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa is working to allay public fears; in an address before Parliament on Wednesday (November 28th) he said the government is taking all measures necessary to tackle the phenomenon in urban areas.
Police stations recorded some 240,000 complaints in cities over the first three quarters of 2007, 90% of which were followed up. These cases concerned offences against public decency and the family (62,023 cases), damage to property (58,771), personal injury (42,335 cases), economic and financial offences (33,672 cases), the sale and use of drugs (15,672 cases) and illegal immigration (5,179 cases).
In rural areas crime rates are much lower. The royal gendarmerie recorded a total of 71,469 cases from the beginning of this year until September 30th, 91.31% of which were followed up. They included personal injury, damage to property, general offences and offences against public decency and the family.
"There is no cause for concern," said Benmoussa. "The Interior Ministry has taken short- and medium-term measures in order to step up police efforts and to guarantee a police presence in various regions. We’ve also taken steps to increase the efficiency of police services."
Sociologist Jamal Baroudi told Magharebia that a rise in crime rates is to be expected, due to the accelerating pace of city development. "When you analyse these crimes, you see that most of them are simple in nature, as the government says. So all they have to do is take adequate steps to get the situation under control," he said.
Benmoussa added that economic globalisation has been accompanied by a similar globalisation of organised crime, including terrorism, the sale of drugs and illegal immigration. "This means we need to intensify co-operation with our international partners to tackle this kind of crime," he concluded.
The Interior Minister has worked out a five-year plan to be implemented from 2008-2012 aimed at increasing the human and financial resources of local authorities and the police.
The government has also begun a shake-up of central and local police services in order to increase their efficiency in tackling crime. Additional police officers are to be trained to ensure an effective police presence which will deter criminals, with priority to be given to areas where crime figures have risen. All urban areas are to be covered by police, who will no longer simply record and follow up complaints but also provide a permanent security presence in crime-ridden areas as part of a prevention strategy.
To gain a better understanding of the problem, the government will call on sociologists and criminologists to carry out studies on the subject. The government is also considering the idea of modernising the system by adopting new scientific techniques and investing in technology.
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مبارك Posted 2007-12-02
The real reasons for the rise in crime in Morocco are unemployment and the high cost of living. What can be expected from young people in the age of production and giving who have to sit in cafes, in the best conditions, for years? …except getting addicted to drugs… and looking for sources of money by any means. The security approach on its own cannot solve the problem of rising criminality in Morocco, the real causes of this phenomenon should be dealt with by fighting unemployment and offering real working opportunities so that lost hope will be restored to millions of Moroccan young people in the future.
allal Posted 2007-12-04
Salam alaikoum, the security concern didn't and won't secure stability for any country for a long time. Pressure only creates explosion. So we ask officials to reconsider the sharing out of resources fairly by giving everyone his right, they shouldn't be accumulated by a few people. Thank you.
ابراهيم الدادسي Posted 2007-12-05
The solution doesn't lie in the security aspect of the problem, by increasing the numbers of police officers or increasing the numbers of attorneys and judges who eat the budget. It should be dedicated to investment and creating job opportunities. And those who eat the money of people wrongly.
lali Posted 2008-01-05
Hello, Does anyone know if immigration to Morocco carries any high security risks with it?
سمير Posted 2008-07-14
The reform of citizens involved in crimes is the responsibility of the state and society. The best word is the reform of delinquents. When we talk about criminality, this is another topic. It concerns other people. A security system, which is involved with them and even protects them in some cases, this is known by all Moroccans and cannot be denied by anyone as they are all affected by it. We respect the initiatives of the ministry of interior to fight beggary, robbery, disciplinary offences, corrective offences and murder crimes. The state and society should seriously think of fighting the origins of delinquency including the marginalization, exclusion, unemployment, inadequate housing, respect and sacredness of the individual. A group of police commissaries are still practising all types of moral, physical and sexual violence in some cases for criminals. But how is it conceivable that a delinquent kid be raped in the police station by his investigators. In reality he has committed a crime against society. However, we shouldn’t treat him in this way which can entrench criminality in his mind. This happened in the city of Laayoune, Sidi Melouk. There are also plotting prosecutions carried out by the police superintendent in the same city against criminals, inventing crimes against them and obliging them to own up to these charges with different ways. Is this the security approach to fight increasing crime in Morocco? The initiative which was stated by the minister of the interior. We don’t need a police who violates our children and makes plots against us. We need a judiciary police system which respects the rights of people and values the individual no matter what his position is whether a criminal or a righteous man. Thank you for this corner for expression.
أشواق نور الدين Posted 2009-02-22
Salam alikum. Criminality in Morocco has become one of the problems endured when it comes to security as the issue is not studied well by the state in order to come up with solutions which will contribute to increasing jobs, increasing salaries and other issues which should be studied deeply to find a solution. I think that concerned sides should reconsider current applicable laws either by amending them or issuing new severe laws against anyone who commits a crime.
anas Posted 12 days ago
I completely agree with this. I read that in Morocco the crime rate has risen 73%, but to calm the people down they said that it was 2%. No one believed it so they said it was 13% so people would calm down. I think that the greatest criminals are the police. They steal our money.
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