THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a press release yesterday said that for the period January 01 to July 31, 2014, compared with the same period in 2013, there has been an 8% drop in the total number of serious crimes, but there was a 10% increase in the number of murders.

The total number of reports of serious crimes made between January 01 and July 31, 2014, was 2,134 compared to 2,317 for the same period in 2013.

The statement added that among the serious crimes policed 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.

A total of 80 murders were recorded at the end of July 2014 in comparison to 73 murders for the same period in 2013, an increase of 10%. Of the 80 murders committed up to July 2014, three were of the execution type, 16 were committed during robberies, 21 were domestic related, 17 were of the disorderly type and 23 are so far undetermined, police said.

At the end of July 2014 robbery under arms overall increased by 16%, with 679 reports compared to 585 for the same period in 2013. The statistics indicated an increase of 27% in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms; and a 2% decrease in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.

ROAD FATALITIES
In relation to traffic, police reported that 67 road fatalities from 61 accidents have been recorded at the end of July 2014 in comparison to 61 fatalities from 58 accidents for the same period in 2013.

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

The release also noted that pedestrians have been the main road users affected with 28 such persons having lost their lives at the end of July 2014. In addition, eight motor cyclists, 14 pedal cyclists, six drivers and 11 persons travelling in motor vehicles also lost their lives.

Speeding continues to be a major contributing factor to fatal accidents and was the cause of 37 of the 61 fatal accidents recorded at the end of July 2014, police said.

The statement stated that traffic enforcement by the police has resulted in a total of 43,487 cases being made against errant motorists up to the end of July 2014; of this total, 11,637 cases were for speeding.

To date, eight persons have lost their lives from seven accidents on the roads for the month of August 2014, police added.

(Michel Outridge)