The police yesterday said that at the end of July this year, the number of traffic deaths had fallen by 30% compared to last year’s figure for the corresponding period.
In a statement, Eve Leary also said that serious crimes were down between January and July this year compared to last year while armed robbery rose by 22%
The police said that the total number of reports of serious crimes made by July 31 this year was 2201 compared to 2257 at the end of last year. The offences monitored included murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape and kidnapping.
Eighty murders were recorded at the end of July 2011 in comparison to 75 murders for the similar period this year. Police said that of the 75 murders, 36 were of the disorderly type, 4 were committed during armed robberies, 15 were domestic related and 4 were execution type, while the other 16 are so far undetermined.
Robbery under arms shot up by 22% up to July 2012, with 597 reports compared to 489 for the same period in 2011. The statistics indicate an increase of 14% in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms, and a 36% rise in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.
The police said there has been a 30% reduction in road fatalities up to the end of July this year in comparison to the same period last year, with 51 fatalities this year and 73 last year.
Pedestrians, the release said, are the main road users affected with 14 such persons having lost their lives on the roads by the end of July this year.
Twelve pedal cyclists and 12 drivers of motor vehicles have also died.
Speeding continues to be a major contributing factor to fatal accidents, causing 35 of the 49 fatal accidents at the end of July this year, police said.
