— robbery-under-arms continues to rise
POLICE say serious crimes recorded at the end of May this year have decreased overall by 2%, as compared to last year. The total number of reports of serious crimes made by May 31 this year was 1616, compared to 1648 at the end of May last year.
Some of the offences monitored are murder, robbery-under-arms, robbery-with-violence, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape and kidnapping.
There continues to be a decrease in murders during this year, compared to the same period last year. A total of 57 murders were recorded at the end of May 2011, in comparison with 51 for the similar period this year; recording a decrease of 11%. Of the 51 murders, 23 were of the disorderly type, two were committed during armed robberies, seven were domestic-related, and three were execution-type; while the other 16 are so far unknown.
Robbery-under-arms has increased by 23% as at May 2012, with 433 reports this year, compared to 352 for the same period in 2011.
The statistics indicate an increase of 17% in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms, and a 35% increase in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.