Serious crimes down nine per cent
Acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine
Acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine

THERE has been a nine per cent decrease in serious crimes for the period January 1 to October 9, 2017 as compared to the same period last year, Police Commissioner (ag), David Ramnarine disclosed Monday.

According to police statistics, there has been a 13 per cent decrease in murders, which stood at 111 in 2016 as compared to 97 this year; robbery under arms, involving the use of firearms has decreased by 15 per cent with the total standing at 487 this year as compared to 572 last year.

In the case of robbery under arms where other instruments were involved, the figures stand at 237 cases in 2016 as against 222 this year, representing a six per cent decrease.

However, there has been an increase in robbery with violence, Ramnarine said, noting that the Force is paying keen attention to the rise in statistics.

There were 76 reports last year as against 101 this year, representing a 33 per cent increase. This, he said, is the only category of serious crime that has seen an increase.

As it relates to rape, there were 187 reported cases this year, while last year there were 205, representing a reduction on 8.5 per cent, and in the case of break and enter and larceny, the police have reported that there were 813 reports this year as opposed to 985 last year, a decrease of 17 per cent.

Turning his attention to the clear up percentage (the rate with which an arrest and charges are laid), Ramnarine described that process as “very good” and noted it has been good for some time.

“It is very high in terms of other countries,” he said, while disclosing that in the case of murder, the Force effected a 16 per cent clear up rate, robbery under arms 32 per cent, robbery where other instruments are involved 37 per cent, robbery with violence 46 per cent, rape 53 per cent and break and enter a 27 per cent clear up rate.

SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT
“This is significant improvement. This is testimony to improved capacity-building and capability-building in the Guyana Police Force, particularly the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and of recent the General Duties Rank, particularly those who are first responders to various scenes of crime,” said the acting top cop.

Ramnarine credited the government and international bodies, including the Justice Education Society of Canada for its assistance in providing training in a number of areas.

He said thus far, some 300 officers primarily from the CID have benefitted from a range of courses. For this year, 156 police officers mostly from CID had benefitted from training programmes, including crime scene investigation, crime scene management, technician, forensic video analysis, major crimes management investigation, interviewing techniques, note-taking, case management, property room management and first responders course.

The acting top cop stressed that it is as a result of the extensive training both local and overseas that has resulted in the Force solving several high profile cases.

“The training and assistance that government and all other bodies [have provided] are paying off,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, in the case of firearms interdiction, police said there has been much improvement this year as compared to last year. In fact, Ramnarine told reporters that so far, there have been 97 firearms interdicted of which 56 are pistols, 16 revolvers, and 9 rifles.

Last year for the same reporting period, a total of 74 firearms were interdicted, 32 pistols, 25 revolvers and 9 rifles. Additionally, 54 persons have been charged for firearm offences in comparison to 32 persons last year.

Since the launch of “Operation Safeway” last year, the top cop said there has been much improvement in the area of traffic.

Last year, there was a 33 per cent increase in fatal accidents and 17 per cent increase in deaths; however, Ramnarine said given the road safety campaigns, and the boosting of the traffic department by an additional 65 ranks, the purchase of breathalyser equipment and radar guns, the police are getting results.

There has been a 25 per cent decrease in accidents and deaths since last September when Operation Safeway was launched. In 2016, there were 117 accidents with 128 deaths. However, for the comparative period, January 1- October 9, 2017, there have been 71 accidents with 78 deaths compared to 94 accidents and 103 deaths for the same period last year.

“Our prognosis is that with our renewed efforts and all these different activities and enforcement programmes that we are going to do, commencing in November (Road Safety Month) that we will be able to reduce traffic fatality figure for a number of years,” said Ramnarine.

SPEEDING
The main contributory factors to fatalities continue to be speeding, which has resulted in 44 deaths, drunk-driving 12 deaths and inattentiveness 10 deaths.
So far, four members of the Force were caught driving under the influence of alcohol, three are before the courts and the other is expected to make an appearance shortly.

Thereafter, the police commissioner said they are likely to be dismissed. As it relates to the category of road users killed, pedestrians remains the highest with 24 deaths, motorcyclists 18 deaths, drivers and pedal cyclists 11 deaths each and passengers or occupants 10 deaths.

“We have done a lot of work on speeding and drunk driving; we have some 19,855 cases made this year in terms of speeding of which 40 per cent of those persons paid their fines. Drunk driving, we had 1338 charged this year of which 63 per cent have paid their fines, 229 charges for failing to adhere to sirens of which 47 per cent have paid the fines, tint 1202 of which 25 per cent have paid their fines,” Ramnarine disclosed.

Additionally, tint has been removed from 25 police vehicles so far and 63 private vehicles. Some 934 persons have been charged with breaching traffic light signals while 56 per cent of them have paid their fines.

Some 450 persons have been charged for driving private cars as taxis; 55 per cent of them paid the imposed fines.

In the case of persons being charged for using cell phones while driving, 981 persons have been charged. The number of persons charged with this offence has increased in comparison to last where the figure stood at 560.

Some 62 per cent of those found guilty have paid their fines. There has also been an increase in the number of unlicensed drivers. So far for the year, 584 persons have been charged and 56 per cent of those charged have paid their fines. Last year, for the corresponding period, 180 persons were charged.

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