Murders, armed robberies up

Although the Guyana Police Force has recorded a drop in total reports of serious crimes for the period January 1st, 2014 to July 31st, 2014, when compared with the corresponding period last year, murders and armed robberies were both found to be up by double digit percentage points.

According to statistics released by the police force yesterday, the total number of reports of serious crimes made between January 1 and July 31, 2014, was 2,134 compared to 2,317 for the same period in 2013. This represented an 8% decline in serious crimes, which include murder, armed robbery, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape, and kidnapping.

The force, however, also reported that 80 murders were recorded at the end of July 2014, in comparison to 73 murders for the same period in 2013, which represented an increase of 10%. Of the 80 murders committed unto the end of July this year, three were recorded by police as “execution type,” 16 were committed during robberies, 21 were domestic, 17 were of the disorderly type and 23 are so far undetermined.

In addition, at the end of July armed robbery increased overall 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, the force said.