Crime Chief says

Due to extensive initiatives and careful planning, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has reported a 17.8 per cent decrease in serious crimes for the year 2023 compared to 2022, according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum.

The Crime Chief made these revelations on Wednesday when presenting the force’s policing plans for the upcoming Christmas season.

During his address at the event, which was held at the Police Officers Mess at Eve Leary, Blanhum said that the 17.8 per cent decrease in serious crimes recorded was for the period January 1, 2023, to November 13, 2023.

This decrease, he said, translates to 248 fewer serious crimes being recorded when compared to the same period in 2022.

Expounding on the statistics, the Crime Chief stated while Breaking and Entering and Larceny had the highest number of cases in 2023, they had a decrease of 15.7 per cent when compared to 2022.

Meaning, when compared to the aforementioned period, there were 70 fewer cases.

Furthermore, it has been documented that the rates of breaking and entering and larceny in the year 2023 were the lowest when compared to the period January 1 to November 13, 2014–2022.

Meanwhile, plain robbery, robbery under arms, and robbery with violence saw a decrease of 15, 23.1, and 33.9 per cent respectively. However, robbery with aggravation remained constant.

Compared to 2022, there were three fewer cases of plain robbery, 96 of robbery under arms and 19 of robbery with violence.

Notably, robbery saw a downward trend and even recorded the lowest rate this year when compared to other years in the period from January 1 to November 13, 2014 – 2022.

With the Christmas season around the corner, the Crime Chief has already crafted a plan to deploy the force’s resources, especially during peak hours, which is 6:01 pm -12:00 midnight.

Additionally, rape significantly decreased by 11.6 per cent, showing 24 fewer cases, when contrasted with the aforementioned period.

Burglary, on the other hand, saw a 44.8 per cent decline, indicating 44 fewer cases than 2022.

Meanwhile, larceny from the person saw a 33.3 per cent decrease, showing 17 fewer cases than the aforementioned period. Also, kidnapping remained at zero just as in 2022.

However, the murder rate increased by 18.7 per cent, according to the Crime Chief.

With this steep inclination, he remarked that the police are concerned with this and even more alarmed by the cases in which individuals take matters into their own hands.

“Let me assure you that we will continue to aggressively address these issues with priority,” Blanhum firmly stated.

The increase in murders added up to 25 more cases than in 2022. In total, male murder victims amounted to 69.1 per cent, while 30.9 per cent of the victims were females.

Moreover, speaking of the murder classifications from 2019 to 2023, evidently, domestic murders peaked in 2023 when compared to the previous years.

According to Blanhum, the increase is a major result of the Mahdia dormitory fire, which claimed the lives of 20 children.

Addressing the prevalence of street-crime cases, the Crime Chief announced that patrol ranks will continue to be vigilant and apprehend suspects.

He related: “Additionally, we do understand a valid concern about the rate of street crimes, especially those caught on CCTV cameras and disseminated to the public via social media.”

With serious crimes being the highest in Regional Division 4 ‘A’ (Georgetown), Blanhum stated that this can be linked to the fact that the area is a “commercial hub” and largely populated.

Serious crimes committed in Georgetown were 22.20 per cent, while Regional Division 4 ‘B’ (Grove/Diamond, East Bank Demerara) followed with a rate 15.60 per cent.

The Crime Chief then shed light on the fact that Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) recorded the lowest crime rate, which was 1.60 per cent.

In an effort to dismantle the illegal firearm network, Blanhum proudly announced the confiscation of 128 firearms from the streets in 2023.

He said: “[The] Guyana Police Force will continue to be proactive in combating firearms-related matters by aggressively cracking down on illegal networks that supply guns to criminals.”

The Crime Chief attributed the decline in serious crimes to the implementation of strategies by the force, further mentioning that they have already devised their plans for the upcoming Christmas season.

As part of various strategies, there will be a surge in the deployment of personnel on foot, comprising both uniformed and plainclothes officers throughout the day and night from Mondays to Sundays, specifically during the festive season. Additionally, there will be an escalation in anticrime patrols and the establishment of fully operational police booths in key locations across the 12 police regions, particularly in major shopping districts.