A total of 4,024 stealing cases were recorded in the Central Region last year as against 1,538 in the previous year indicating an increase of 2,486 cases.

Defilement and rape cases also increased marginally, from 191 in 2013 to 273 last year, with rape cases moving from 38 cases in 2013 to 56 cases last year.

Chief Superintendent James Acheamfour Amoako, Regional Crime Officer, who disclosed this to the GNA in an interview in Cape Coast on Thursday, said stealing and assault cases had been on the rise over the years.

He pointed out that generally statistics showed that the crime rate in the Central Region increased slightly from 18,676 in 2013 to 18,679 last year.

Chief Superintendent Amoako said murder, robbery and possession of narcotic drugs have however reduced, stating that murder cases reduced to 39 in 2014, as against 49 in the previous year, robbery cases went down from 156 in 2013 to 79 last year, whiles possessing of narcotic drugs declined to 71 last year from 96 in 2013.

He said last year 1,911cases were sent to court, with 572 convicted, 83 acquitted.

He said another1,256 cases were awaiting trial and 13,644 cases were under investigation and that 2,190 cases were closed due to inconsistencies in the complaints made to the service.

According to him in 2013, 3,326 cases were sent to court, where 1,343 people were convicted, and 86 acquitted with 1,890 cases were awaiting trial and 7,584 were under investigation.

He said for the second time running in the two years under review, there were no manslaughter cases found in all the murder cases investigated and that last year four attempted murder cases were recorded with threat of death recording 810.

Mr. Amoako disclosed that crime combating measures such as effective patrols, and swoops on criminal hideouts were put in place to check the rise of crimes, especially in the major offences.

He observed that the Regional Command expected to see a further decline in crime cases this year due to other security measures, with the police visibility programme introduced late last year being the topmost to deter the perpetuation of crime.

Mr. Amoako said security was a shared responsibility, and urged the public to volunteer information to the police in order to prevent crime.