–Home Affairs Minister says

MINISTER of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, has said that there has been a 19.3 per cent decrease in serious crimes.
This figure represents a year-to-day comparison of statistics from January 1 to July 30, 2020 and January 1 to July 30, 2021.

“In spite of what you are hearing on social media, in spite of the fact that we may not have been paying attention to what was happening in relation to serious crime in 2020… now we can focus and pay attention to issues of crime and to deal and ramp up on those issues so that we can make our country safer,” Minister Benn said.

In 2020, there were 86 murders compared to 73 in 2021, representing a 15.1 per cent decrease. Of the 516 incidences of robbery under arms in 2020, 333 were committed in 2021 which indicates a 35 per cent decrease.

A 55.6 per cent decrease has been recorded in robbery with aggravation, with 36 incidences in 2020 and 16 in 2021.  Break and enter and larceny also saw a decrease of 10.7 per cent, with 457 in 2020 and 408 in 2021.

As it relates to larceny, there has been a notable decrease of 46.4 per cent, with 69 in 2020 and 37 in 2021. There were 51 cases of robbery with violence compared to 42 in 2021, which represents a 17.6 per cent decrease.

With 18 robberies in 2020 and 13 in 2021, there has been a 27.8 per cent decrease in this crime. There has also been a steep decrease in burglary of 41.9 per cent, with 93 incidences in 2020 and 54 in 2021. One instance of kidnapping was recorded in 2021 and none in 2020.

However, there has been an increase in the reported cases of rape, with 104 incidences in 2020 and 177 in 2021, reflecting a 70.2 per cent increase.
The government, as part of its commitment to providing safe and secure communities, invested over $61 billion to enhance security. (DPI)