Cryptic crossword clue
Unarmed, patrol population centres for serious crimes 10

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word ATROCITIES

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
A
T
R
O
C
I
T
I
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "serious crimes" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case serious crimes = atrocities.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does ATROCITIES mean?

ATROCITIES noun
  1. An extremely cruel act; a horrid act of injustice.
  2. The quality or state of being atrocious; enormous wickedness; extreme criminality or cruelty.
  3. An object considered to be extremely unattractive or undesirable.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations