Although both murders and armed robberies are up for the first nine months of the year, the police force is reporting that strategies employed by the force in tackling crime have had a positive impact as the growth in crime since June has declined.
At the end of the third quarter of the year the Guyana Police Force (GPF) recorded an 11% drop in serious crimes when the period January 1st to September 30th, 2014, is compared with the corresponding period in 2013, the force announced yesterday.
Serious crimes policed by the force are murder, armed robbery, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape, and kidnapping.
According to the police release of the statistics for the previous nine months, a total of 107 murders were recorded up to the end of September this year, in comparison to 100 murders for the same period in 2013, representing an increase of 7%.
“The causes of domestic and disorderly murders, which together total 51 of the 107 murders recorded (48%), are mainly social in nature and are difficult for the police alone to deal with,” the release said, while adding that the force is working with other stakeholders to address the situation.
There has also been an overall increase in armed robberies, which are up by 11%. Police said the statistics show an increase of 15% in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms and a 2% increase in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.
Positive impacts
According to the police, the statistics indicate that the strategies employed by the police force in dealing with crime, including “social intervention programmes with a focus on youths alongside intelligence-led enforcement operations,” have impacted positively during the third quarter of the year when compared to the situation at the end of the second quarter.
At the end of June this year, a 7% decrease in total serious crimes was recorded. “This has moved to an 11% decrease at the end of September,” the release said.
Murder showed an increase of 13% at the end of June this year, the force said, but it was 7% at the end of September. It was noted too that armed robbery, which showed an overall increase of 22% at the end of June, is down to an overall increase of 11% at the end of September. “There was an increase of 33% in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms at the end of June this year; while at the end of September the increase is 15%,” the release added.
At the end of June 2014, the police reported, there was an increase of 4% in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators, while the figure was down to 2% at the end of September.
