Tag: crime

Statistics and perceptions

While catching up with recent Cyprus Mail articles, I came across the one about involvement of foreigners in serious crimes in Cyprus.  Quote:

FOREIGNERS are involved in 40 per cent of all serious crimes, and 30 per cent of road deaths in Cyprus, the House Human Rights Committee head yesterday.

Being both a foreigner and a local (after almost 14 years here), I know how a lot of Cypriots are concerned with crimes being related to foreigners.  A quote like the above would be music to their ears.  However, on the other hand, that quote could be easily turned inside out.  For example, like so:

CYPRIOTS are involved in 60 per cent (or a majority) of all serious crimes, and 70 per cent (an absolute majority) of road deaths in Cyprus […]

This now would be music to the ears of many foreigners who think that Cypriots are too crooked with all cabaret, real estate, and gambling activity going on, and who are also extremely incosiderate and undereducated while driving on public roads.

Now, which one sounds worse?

Gambling is an old problem

A recent arrest in Cyprus proves that gambling is an old problem, as Cyprus Mail reports:

FORTY TWO women aged between 75 and 85, including a 95-year-old from Limassol, were shocked on Sunday when police raided their card game and confiscated their €100 in betting money.

Also, I have to disagree with a woman quoted in the same article:

The only thing police achieve by doing such raids is to ridicule women of a certain age

Not at all, no.  I think police only ridicule themselves, not the women of a certain age.