WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

Kisumu town reports drop in crime due to World Cup

PHOTO | GABRIEL BOUYS Belgium's midfielder Marouane Fellaini (right) celebrates with Belgium's forward Divock Origi after Fellaini scored his team's first goal during the Group H football match between Belgium and Algeria at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 17, 2014. Belgium won 2-1.

PHOTO | GABRIEL BOUYS Belgium's midfielder Marouane Fellaini (right) celebrates with Belgium's forward Divock Origi after Fellaini scored his team's first goal during the Group H football match between Belgium and Algeria at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 17, 2014. Belgium won 2-1.  AFP

In Summary

  • Kisumu police boss Musa Kongoli also told the paper that since the tournament began, he had not handled any "very serious" cases, "apart from the incident where a police officer shot dead a football fan" at a video store following a row.
By AFP
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A town in western Kenya has reported a sharp drop in serious crime, with police concluding that criminals were too busy watching the World Cup to go out and steal.

"At least now the youth have something to keep them occupied so they are not involved in criminal activities," a local police commander in Kisumu, David Ng'etich, was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper.

"We hope that the peace will continue even after the World Cup," he added.

Kisumu police boss Musa Kongoli also told the paper that since the tournament began, he had not handled any "very serious" cases, "apart from the incident where a police officer shot dead a football fan" at a video store following a row.

The town of Kisumu has been wracked by high levels of violent crime in the past, and earlier this year local officials appealed for more street lights and CCTV cameras to be installed to deter criminals.

"Police patrols are going on and we do not intend to stop simply because crime has gone down in the area," Kongoli was quoted as saying.