Crime Wave in Northeast Syria

High unemployment rates are leading to an increase in crime in the northeastern province of Al-Hasaka, said a May 10 article on the All4Syria website.



The website predicted that crime rates could increase further if unemployment continued to rise.



After visiting a criminal court for minors and police stations in the area, the article’s author Hasan Baro said he was shocked by number of crimes recorded so far this year.



Law enforcement officers told him they were so overwhelmed by the work that they could not go home and rest during the holidays.



Policemen said petty thefts of bicycles, sheep and goods were common, as well as more serious armed robberies.



Baro explained that a severe drought affecting farming areas for the past few years has made it difficult to find jobs, prompting the current crime wave.



The author accused the government of failing to invest in development projects in Al-Hasaka, adding that official neglect of drought-hit villages had forced many people to leave.