Theft cases in homes jump 25% in first half of 2026 even as Singapore's overall crime rate stays stable

Theft incidents within homes in Singapore surged by nearly 25 percent during the first half of 2026, even as the nation's overall crime rate maintained a steady level. According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF), there were 459 instances of theft in dwellings across residential premises in the year's first half, representing a 25.1 percent increase from 367 such cases in the same period of 2025.

The SPF's mid-year crime brief for 2026 reported that, while theft in various types of premises saw a slight rise of 0.6 percent, theft in dwelling cases still accounted for approximately 7.1 percent of all physical crimes.

Most instances of theft in dwelling occurred in residences where belongings were left unsecured or unattended, providing opportunities for theft, according to the SPF. To address this issue, the police advised residents, co-tenants, and property occupants to securely store their personal belongings and refrain from leaving valuables unattended in common spaces and shared facilities.

Despite the rise in theft in dwelling cases, the overall physical crime situation in Singapore remained stable. The number of physical crime cases in Singapore fell by 0.4 percent from 10,325 in the first half of 2025 to 10,287 in the same period of 2026. Robbery and snatch theft registered 12 and nine cases, respectively, in the first half of 2026.

Outrage of modesty, shop theft, and theft in dwelling were identified as the top three crimes of concern, with outrage of modesty cases increasing by 3.1 percent to 762 cases, representing around 7.4 percent of the total physical crime cases.