Murders up 10%, gun robberies by 27%

The Guyana Police Force says it recorded an 8% drop in total serious crimes when the period January 01 to July 31, 2014, is compared with the corresponding period in 2013. The total number of reports of serious crimes made between January 01 and July 31, 2014, was 2,134 compared to 2,317 for the same period in 2013.

Among the serious crimes policed by the Force are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape, and kidnapping.

The police say that a total of 80 murders were recorded at the end of July 2014 in comparison to 73 murders for the same period in 2013, an increase of 10%. Of the 80 murders committed unto July 2014, 3 were of the execution type, 16 were committed during robberies, 21 were domestic related, 17 were of the disorderly type and 23 are so far undetermined.

At the end of July 2014 robbery under arms overall has increased by 16%, with 679 reports compared to 585 for the same period in 2013. The statistics indicate an increase of 27% in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms; and a 2% decrease in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.

In relation to traffic, 67 road fatalities from 61 accidents have been recorded at the end of July 2014 in comparison to 61 fatalities from 58 accidents for the same period in 2013.