POINTING to record-low crime rates, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has said Guyana has made significant strides in boosting public safety and this must be credited to the strategic investments being made to improve the country’s law enforcement.
“In the last 10 years, serious crime reports were the lowest in the current year,” the President told local journalist at a Tuesday press conference where, he reflected on crime statistics over the past decade.

The Head of State further highlighted the concerted efforts of law enforcement agencies and the government’s investments in technology and personnel.
The President also pointed out the dramatic decline in murders, calling this year the most successful in terms of homicide reduction.
He related: “Over the last 10 years, the lowest number of murders were recorded this year.”

In addition to homicides, robbery statistics also saw a steep drop, President Ali said, noting: “The lowest number of all categories of robberies were recorded this year over the last 10 years.”
The reduction in robberies is another testament to the effectiveness of the government’s crime-fighting initiatives, which have prioritised a data-driven approach to policing and community safety.

The illegal trade of guns, and human trafficking also saw a steep drop, with those respective statistics also showing a record low percentile in 2024 over the past decade.
The President praised the commitment of the country’s police force, emphasising their proactive approach to maintaining law and order.

“That tells you that our men and women in the form are proactively working,” Dr. Ali said, affirming the dedication of law enforcement officers who are working tirelessly to ensure public safety.
Another key highlight was the country’s clearance rate for murders in 2024. Those statistics, Dr. Ali said, reflect the government’s success in solving and prosecuting homicides.

“Our clear up rate for murders for the year 2024 accounts to 71 per cent—what that means is that more people who are committing these acts have been caught, charged and prosecuted,” he said.
The President attributed this achievement to the substantial investments made in technological advancements, such as modern command centers and surveillance systems.
“This is because of the investment we have made in technology, the safe command centers and the surveillance system that we have put in place,” the Head of State said.

Recently, President Ali had stated that the trust and confidence in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has reached new heights.
Dr. Ali said: “If you enter some police stations, you were afraid even to approach the station because of the condition of the building, and of the stench that comes out of the building…What you have seen over the last number of years, at least since 2020, is that more and more citizens are making reports…”

The GPF had previously faced numerous challenges and overall, the security sector was on shaky foundation in 2015-2020. However, the current People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government has taken a hands-on approach to enhancing the security sector.
Pointing to a key component of this initiative, President Ali highlighted how the GPF’s welfare infrastructure has improved.

He said: “If you look at all the different facilities, the new stations, you will see that it is more customer oriented, it is more service oriented. So that was an important part.”
Notably, the recent modernisation efforts have seen the establishment of a Community Relations Department to strengthen police-community relations, promote safe communities, and enhance preventative policing strategies through positive engagements and public trust.