Gov’t to create digital map of ‘crime spots’ in Reg. 4

An estimated $16 million has been awarded for the creation of a digital map of all the crime hotspots in Region Four (Demerara Mahaica), Minister of State Joseph Harmon announced Monday.

“This crime mapping consultancy will depict spatial depictions of crimes in Region Four. The project will give serious crimes and geocode them, the occurrence of crime as per geographic locations and create communicative maps so that Guyanese citizens will be able to see digital map that depicts where crimes are occurring based on crime data,” Harmon stated.

It is envisioned that the map will help persons avoid becoming victims of crime. He explained that the map will be displayed like “Google Maps” and will be visible in real time.

According to Harmon, citizens will have the option to “zoom in” and have access to crime data such as the type of crime occurred in a particular location at a particular time.

The US$78,750 contract was awarded by the Ministry of Public Security to a consultant named Valerie Grant.

Travel advisories from ABC countries often warn their citizens about a high crime rate in the country.

In its 2018 travel advisory on Guyana, the United Kingdom stated that “crime levels remain relatively high and police capacity is low”.

UK citizens were warned to “avoid” the Tiger Bay and Albouystown areas, take care in Sophia and all of south Georgetown, Buxton and Agricola.

They were also cautioned to take “particular care” in the Stabroek Mark area where “robberies are a daily occurrence”. They were also warned to be cautious when in the Botanical Gardens.

Travel advisories from the United States and Canada are of a similar nature.

In its latest report, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said it recorded a 9% decrease in serious crimes at the end of June 2018 compared to the similar period last year.