Fewer serious crimes being reported- Police

Despite a rise in armed robberies, particularly those involving the use of firearms, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has recorded a 16 per cent decrease in serious crimes. The decrease is for the period starting January 01 to April 15, 2024.

Serious crimes include offences such as murders, robberies, rape, break and enter and larceny and larceny from a person.

According to statistics gathered by the News Room, a total of 398 reports of serious crimes were reported for the period, compared to 475 for the same period last year.  the reports include 35 murders, 102 armed robberies, 103 break and enter and larceny and 82 rape.

Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of an event recently, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn said the authorities have been keen in their effort to ensure the country is a safe space and crime is controlled.

“Serious crime has gone down in Guyana…It went down 20 percent over two years and last year it went down 17 percent.

“There is a problem of domestic murders…and disorderly murders…but principally serious crime is down,” Benn said.

Out of the offences, armed robberies are the highest reported crime for the period. In fact, it accounts for 25 per cent or a quarter of the overall total of reported crime.

The other offence on the rise is murder. There were 35 reports for the period, seven more than last year.

This crime too has different categories such as disorderly, domestic related, execution killings, those that occur during the course of a robbery and those where the circumstances are unclear, referred to an unknown.

Further, statistics showed that out of the ten administrative regions and the 12 policing divisions across the country, Region Six (East-Berbice-Corentyne) has seen the most reports of 88 crimes.

Followed by Region 4A, which stretches from Georgetown to Eccles on the East Bank of Demerara with 83 reports and Region 3 (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) with 60 reports.