S-1 Crime Prevention Research Institute Reports Theft Crime Trends
33% Decrease in Theft Crimes Over the Past Three Years
Majority Are Petty Livelihood Crimes... 81.8% Involve Losses Under 1 Million Won
Recently, as security infrastructure across society has been strengthened, theft crimes have been on the decline. However, with the prolonged economic downturn, livelihood crimes targeting cash have been on the rise.
On May 18, the S-1 Crime Prevention Research Institute announced the trends in theft crimes based on an analysis of customer data from the past three years, from 2022 to 2024. According to the analysis, the number of theft crimes decreased by approximately 33% over the past three years.
In particular, among theft crimes, "attempted but failed" cases accounted for 38.4% of the total. The main reasons for offenders abandoning their crimes were the activation of security solutions, such as the presence of CCTV at the scene and the dispatch of security company personnel, which led most perpetrators to flee. It is analyzed that offenders, upon realizing the presence of security solutions during the crime, felt psychological pressure and fled on their own.
The number of S-1 customers with CCTV installations has also continued to grow steadily, recording double-digit annual growth rates since 2022. In particular, sales of the AI CCTV product SVMS (Smart Video Management System) increased by 279% last year, indicating a rapid acceleration in its adoption.
Among theft crimes that resulted in actual losses, "petty theft" cases involving losses of less than 1 million won accounted for 81.8% of the total. Cash was the target in 79.8% of cases, with cigarettes and food items also being major targets. Many victims of such petty thefts are unable to receive practical compensation, as it is difficult to secure evidence and compensation procedures are complicated.
An analysis of the time of occurrence of theft crimes showed that incidents occurring during the late-night hours between midnight and 6 a.m. accounted for 70.6% of the total. This was followed by 6 p.m. to midnight (19.9%), 6 a.m. to noon (6.7%), and noon to 6 p.m. (2.8%). Cash thefts occurring during the late-night hours accounted for 72.9% of all such incidents, indicating the need for active measures to address security vulnerabilities during these times.
This trend has also become particularly evident in unmanned stores, which have been increasing in number recently. While unmanned stores emphasize operational efficiency and labor cost savings, their lack of on-site personnel makes them structurally vulnerable to crime. According to S-1's analysis, 81.8% of theft crimes in unmanned stores occurred during the sparsely populated late-night hours, with most cases involving forcibly opening kiosks or coin exchangers to steal cash.
An S-1 representative stated, "As shown by this analysis, the types and methods of crime are becoming increasingly diverse, while security solutions capable of preventing crime are also becoming more sophisticated," and emphasized, "To prevent damage from crime and ensure a safe daily life, it is more important than ever to install customized security solutions tailored to each situation."
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