THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday revealed that serious crimes recorded for the period January 01 to July 31, 2013 stood at 2316, compared to the 2204 recorded for the corresponding period in 2012. This represents a five per cent increase in serious crimes for this 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.
The GPF added that 72 murders were recorded at the end of July 2013, compared to 75 murders for the same period in 2012. This represents a four per cent decrease in murders for this year. Of the 72 murders on record this year, 32 were of the disorderly type, 14 were committed during armed robberies, one was execution type, nine were domestic related, while the other 16 are so far undetermined.
At the end of July 2013, robbery-under-arms showed an overall decrease of two per cent to 585 reported incidents, as against 599 committed for the same period in 2012.
The statistics indicate an increase of three percent in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms, and a 10% decrease in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators, the GPF said.

Traffic statistics
Road fatalities stood at 61 fatalities from 58 accidents recorded as at July 31, 2013, compared to 51 fatalities from 49 accidents for the same period in 2012. The period January 01 to July 31, 2013 saw reductions in relation to the other categories of traffic accidents – serious, minor and damage.
So far, pedestrians have been the main road users affected, with 21 such persons having lost their lives as at the end of July 2013. In addition, 11 motor cyclists, 10 pedal cyclists, seven drivers of motor vehicles, two pillion riders and 10 passengers of motor vehicles have also lost their lives.

Speeding
Speeding continues to be a major contributing factor to fatal accidents, and was the cause of 43 of the 58 fatal accidents recorded as at the end of July 2013.
Traffic enforcement by the police during the period January to July 2013 resulted in a total of 50,530 cases being made against errant motorists, of which 12,842 cases were for speeding.
To date, two persons have lost their lives from two fatal accidents during August 2013.