THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Thursday said that statistics have revealed a 4% increase in serious crimes for this year up to April 13, 2015, compared to the same period in 2014.

A press release added that among the serious crimes recorded 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 also reported that 47 murders have been recorded for this year up to April 13, 2015, in comparison to 41 for the same period last year, an increase of 15%.

The force noted that up to April 13, 2015, robbery under arms overall has decreased by 19% in comparison to the same period in 2014. The statistics indicate a 27% decrease in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms, and a 3% decrease in armed robberies, in which instruments other than firearms were used by perpetrators.

With regard to the offence of rape, there has been an increase of 62% up to April 13, 2015, in comparison to the same period in 2014.

The document added too that there has been no arrest so far for the murder of Quincy Bowman, 31, of Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown, whose body was found with a gunshot wound to the head in the vicinity of Busta Bridge, Festival City, on April 6, 2015.
The police have questioned a number of persons from the community as the investigations continue.

Meanwhile, a probe into the circumstances surrounding the death of Devi Ramadhar, 17, of Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, whose body was found on the seawall at La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara, on April 11, 2015 is continuing.
The cause of her death is so far undetermined. However, two men were arrested and questioned by the police but were later released on bail.

In a separate incident, ballistics tests are being conducted on the spent shells and a warhead that were recovered as the investigation into the murder of businesswoman Shevon Gordon, 45, of Block 22, Wismar, continues.
Shevon Gordon was shot and killed during an armed robbery at her home on Saturday, April 4, 2015.
So far the two suspects in this robbery/murder have managed to evade capture by the police.
POLICE ADVISORY
Members of the public are advised that should there be a break and enter/burglary committed on their homes, they should inform the police as quickly as possible and try, as far as practicable, not to disturb the scene as valuable evidence may be lost.