SERIOUS crime in Regional Division 4A continues to decline, as Divisional Commander Simon McBean has reported that it has sharply fallen by more than 76 per cent over the past five years.
The Divisional Commander highlighted this during the Guyana Police Force (GPF)’s Regional Division 4A Annual Christmas and Luncheon and Award Ceremony, on Monday.
Although Georgetown, which falls within this division, is experiencing rapid economic growth and activities, making it a major target for crime, the police force continues to resiliently respond to crime, according to McBean.
A 2.4 per cent decrease in serious crimes compared to the same period in 2024 has been recorded.
However, looking at the broader picture over the last five years, the transformation is “staggering,” the Divisional Commander said, noting that since 2020, serious crimes in the division has fallen by more than 76 per cent.
It has moved from 836 recorded serious crimes at this time in 2020, to just 200 to date in 2025, the Divisional Commander noted.
Over 16,500 crime reports were investigated, resulting in 3,501 criminal charges, he said.
He attributed this reduction in crime to three strategic pillars, including strong leadership, technological integration and community partnership; this he dubbed as the “backbone of the success and remains the integral part between the police and the public.”
“While the numbers are positive, we acknowledge that one serious crime still is one too many,” he said, noting that public perception often lags behind data and the fear of crime remains a challenge for the GPF.
Moving forward, the division’s goal is to ensure that the safety reflected in the statistics is a safety truly felt by every citizen in their daily lives, according to McBean.
As it relates to the traffic department, McBean reported a 24 per cent decrease in fatal accidents, but he did disclose that there has been a three per cent increase in general traffic accidents.
He further reported that the traffic department brought over 5,660 persons before the court for violations.
McBean further reported that 28 illegal firearms were taken off of the streets and over 65 kilogrammes of cannabis and 18 grammes of cocaine were seized.