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Crime up in Georgetown
—police record spike in rapes, armed robberies
Crime up in Georgetown
Kaieteur News-Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum on Thursday said that there has been an increase in a number of crimes including break and enter, rape, and robbery under arms.
Blanhum made the disclosure at the launch of the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Christmas Policing initiative. He said that serious crimes have declined overall in 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The event was held at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary in Georgetown. Blanhum in his presentation said that between January 1 and November 11, 2024, a total of 1,042 serious crimes were recorded, marking a 14% decrease from the 1,217 cases reported in 2023.
Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum
Murder cases showed a significant decline, with 100 cases reported in 2024 compared to 133 in the previous year. Of the 2024 murder victims, 88% were male and 12% were female. The breakdown of murder cases included 56 from disorderly conduct, 10 from domestic violence, 11 from robbery, eight executions, and 15 cases of unknown causes.
Regionally, 22% of murders occurred in Region 4A (Georgetown), 17% in Region Three, with Regions One, Six, and Seven showing a 10% increase each. The remaining regions had a 9% or lower increase. Additionally, alcohol-related murders included 25 disorderly conduct cases and three domestic violence cases.
Other categories with reductions included robbery under arms (using other instruments), which decreased from 119 cases in 2023 to 78 in 2024, and robbery with aggravation, which dropped from 22 to 16 cases. Larceny from person also declined, with cases down from 41 in 2023 to 31 in 2024.
For trafficking in persons, 19 reports were made, resulting in three cases. Kidnapping incidents remained rare, with only one case reported in 2024 and none in 2023. Break and enter and larceny, despite showing a decline from 392 incidents in 2023 to 261 in 2024, remained the most prevalent crime recorded by the GPF for 2024.
Meanwhile, despite the overall decrease in serious crimes, some categories recorded increases. Rape cases rose from 180 in 2023 to 195 in 2024, representing an 8% increase. Robbery under arms involving firearms also increased, with 239 cases in 2024 compared to 215 in 2023.
In Region 4A (Georgetown), gun-related robberies surged by 29%, followed by a 15.9% increase in Region 4C (East Coast Demerara) and a 13% increase in Region 4B (East Bank Demerara). Other regions recorded a 10% or less increase in gun robberies. The police noted that the majority of gun robberies—174 incidents—occurred between 18:00 hours and midnight.
Additionally, burglary cases rose from 59 to 68 over the same period. The statistics also showed an 18.1% increase in serious crime in Region 4A (Georgetown) and Region Six, followed by increases in Regions Three, 4B, and 4C. Regions 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 recorded less than a 10% increase in serious crimes.
(Crime up in Georgetown)
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