Tackling serious crimes, including gun-point robberies, remains a challenge for the police force as statics gathered show that up to the end of November there was an increase when compared with the numbers gathered last year.
According to the statistics released yesterday by the Guyana Police Force, an overall 9% increase has been recorded in the serious crimes policed by the force. These are murder, armed robbery, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape, and kidnapping.
An increase of 26% in the number of reports of rape, which numbered 300 at the end of November this year, compared to 238 for the same period last year, was noted.
The police also said 133 murders committed were committed up to the end of November, representing a 2% increase over the same period last year.
At the end of November, armed robbery increased by 4% in comparison to the same period in 2014. The statistics indicate an increase of 6% in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms, the force said, while adding that the figures are almost similar in relation to the number of armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators. There were 343 such robberies this year, compared with 342 from last year.
An overall increase of 11% has been seen in break and enter and larceny and burglary, the force added.
It also reported a total of 103 illegal firearms having been recovered by the police, including a sub-machine gun, 56 pistols, 28 revolvers, 11 shotguns, 6 rifles and a pen-gun.
A total of 81 illegal firearms were recovered at the end of this same period last year.
The force said it is continuing in its efforts aimed at crime prevention through its police-community partnership programme along with social crime prevention interventions in the policing divisions, with special emphasis on empowering youths, such as the Impact Albouystown Project and Youth Clubs. Meaningful support in this regard is being given by members of the religious community attached to the Cops and Faith Community Network.
Senior officers of the Police Force’s Executive Leadership Team and Divisional Commanders, it added, also held a number of community outreach meetings where issues and concerns raised by members of the public were addressed.
During November there was a total of seven interventions supported by the religious community in the Cops and Faith Community Network, which treats with juvenile first offenders for minor crimes as a preemptive intervention to the New Opportunity Corps. In all cases, the youths were counselled by the religious leaders and following the involvement of parents/guardians, and the victims where necessary, the majority of them were warned and sent away.
In relation to the Family Liaison for victims of serious crimes and domestic violence project, which is also under the Cops and Faith Community Network, during November there were 15 interventions by members of the religious community in response to attempted suicide and cases of serious crimes including rape, armed robbery and murder where the affected persons, victims and relatives, accordingly, were counselled, the force added.
