While the Guyana Police Force recorded a 7% drop in total serious crimes when the period January 01 to June 30, 2014 is compared to the previous year, murders were up by 18% up to July 21.

The police yesterday said that the total number of reports of serious crimes made between January 01 and June 30, 2014, was 1,827 compared to 1,960 for the same period in 2013.

A total of 69 murders were recorded at the end of June 2014 in comparison to 61 murders for the same period in 2013, a rise of 13%.

Unto July 21, 2014, a total of 79 murders were recorded in comparison to 67 for the same period in 2013, an increase of 18%.

At the end of June 2014, the police said that robbery under arms overall has jumped by 22%, with 577 reports compared to 472 for the same period in 2013. The statistics show an increase of 33% in the number of armed robberies involving firearms; and a 4% rise in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.

In relation to traffic, the police said that 57 road fatalities from 52 accidents have been recorded at the end of June 2014 compared to 56 fatalities from 53 accidents for the same period in 2013.

The other categories of accidents – serious, minor and damage – have seen reductions up to the end of June this year, in comparison to the same period last year.

Pedestrians have been the main road users affected with 23 having lost their lives at the end of June 2014. In addition 8 motor cyclists, 13 pedal cyclists, 4 drivers and 9 passengers of motor vehicles also lost their lives.

Speeding continues to be a major contributing factor to fatal accidents and was the cause of 34 of the 52 fatal accidents recorded at the end of June 2014.

Traffic enforcement by the police has seen a total of 38,652 cases being made against errant motorists up to the end of June 2014; of this total, 10,131 cases were for speeding.

To date, nine persons have lost their lives from 8 accidents on the roads for the month of July 2014.

The statistics show that for this year so far 66 persons have lost their lives on the roads from 60 accidents, as against 59 persons from 56 accidents for the same period last year, police said.