The Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a release stated that an overall three per cent increase in serious crime has been recorded during the period January 1 to June 30, 2013. There were 1979 reports compared to 1923 for the same period in 2012.
Some of the offences monitored are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape and kidnapping.
The release said that a total of 60 murders were recorded at the end of June 2013 in comparison to 62 murders for the same period in 2012, a decrease of 3%. Of this amount, 28 were of the disorderly type, nine were committed during armed robberies, one was execution type, six were domestic related, while 16 others are undetermined.
At the end of June, there was an overall seven per cent decrease of robbery under arms, with 472 reports compared to 509 for the same period in 2012. The statistics further indicate a decrease of five per cent in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms; and a 10 per cent decrease in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators, the release said.
With regard to traffic, there has been an increase of 16 road fatalities at the end of June 2013 in comparison to the same period in 2012, with 56 fatalities from 53 accidents in this year compared to 40 fatalities from 38 accidents last year. The period January 1 to June 30, 2013, saw reductions in relation to the other categories of traffic accidents – serious, minor and damage.
So far, pedestrians have been the main road users affected with 17 such persons having lost their lives at the end of June. Additionally, 10 motor cyclists, 10 pedal cyclists, seven drivers of motor vehicles, two pillion riders and 10 passengers also lost their lives.
The GPF said speeding continues to be a major contributing factor to fatal accidents and was the cause of 41 of the 53 fatal accidents recorded at the end of June.
Meanwhile, traffic enforcement by the police during the period January to June 2013 resulted in a total of 43,688 cases being made against errant motorists. Of this amount 10,863 cases were for speeding, the release added.
