The National Police on Monday began a four-day training course on procedures and operations for 60 police officials to further their capacity amid an increasing crime rate that rose eight per cent last year.

Speaking during the course at the Interior Ministry’s Criminal Police Department, deputy National Police chief In Bora encouraged trainees to further strengthen their skills to thwart offences this year.

“If we are prepared to stop many offences in Phnom Penh, then overall offences will decline,” he said.

Bora said the training course was necessary and those attending must embrace the opportunity to gain more knowledge to serve the nation for the sake of a peaceful future.

He said the four-day training course focused on various topics, including the Criminal Code and the components of offences.

The Criminal Code section of the course would teach trainees the procedures to manage cases, methods of questioning, how to interpret answers from suspects, investigative methods for criminal offences and how to build a case against criminal targets.

Speaking on February 19, at a meeting to review last year’s work and set goals for this year, Minister of Interior Sar Kheng said last year’s criminal offences had increased by eight per cent compared to 2018, killing 211 people.

He said despite this increase, the National Police had cracked down on 89 per cent of the offences. He also highlighted a report noting that criminal offences had occurred 3,196 times, compared to 2018’s 2,969 cases, an increase of 228.

In last year’s cases, 211 people died, 829 were injured and 1,412 were victimised.