Nayrouz News Agency : Security experts said that the nationwide curfew imposed to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus has had "significant impact” in reducing crime rates and halting drug distribution routes.

Yazan Kharabsheh, a media officer at the Public Security Directorate, told The Jordan Times, in a phone interview, that the restriction of movement has "almost brought down crimes such as theft, burglary and intended violence to zero”.

He added: "When everybody is at home, it becomes hard for burglars to rob houses. When no shops, but pharmacies and grocery stores are open, and usually with people waiting in lines, theft becomes a lot harder as well. Finally, when there is no one on the street, there is no one to fight with.”

Lecturer of social science Ibrahim Suod had a different explanation for the decline in crime rates, attributing this to the presence of the Jordanian Armed Forces in the streets.

"A thief can steal even with 100 people watching, but the danger of being caught is heightened when the army is present. The uniform of the army evokes a sense of fear that perpetrators do not usually feel when a police officer is around, mainly because the latter is regularly seen in the streets,” he added.

Suod also noted that the deployment of tanks in some areas contributes to "creating a war-like scenario which scares not only lay people but criminals as well”.

As infractions and misdemeanours declined, so did the trafficking, promotion and abuse of drugs.

Anti-Narcotics Department’s Spokesperson Anas Tantawi told The Jordan Times in a phone interview that "drug distibution routes have been greatly disturbed by the curfew, which has naturally led to there being less cases of drug possession and abuse.”

He added: "The restriction of movement has also given our officers a chance to look into suspected dealers and watch their movements more closely. Moreover, the presence of families at home has widely discouraged users from risking a sneaky sale.”

Kharbasheh, however, pointed out that despite the ban, several cases of murder, theft and trade or possession of drugs have been recorded.

"Our officers are working tirelessly on two fronts: implementing curfew and ensuring that no one takes advantage of the curfew to commit crimes in secret. Criminals who think that our staff are distracted by ensuring the health of citizens are wrong, as we are carrying on our normal line of work as well as the additional coronavirus containment efforts,” concluded Kharabsheh.