El Salvador authorities announced that there were half as many reported kidnapping cases in the last 12 months, compared to the previous 12 month-period.

According to reports, the Special Unit for Organized Crime of the Attorney General’s Office said that between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011 the police were informed of 37 kidnappings, compared with 77 cases the previous year.

The office also said that 80 percent of those kidnappings had been resolved with the capture and conviction of the perpetrator.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, this dramatic improvement is thanks to government security policies. The figures would give El Salvador one of the lowest kidnapping rates in Central America, with 0.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

However, many cases of kidnapping likely go unreported, making these figures questionable.

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