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Guyana records 14% reduction in serious crimes in 2024 – Robeson Benn
Kaieteur News- Guyana saw a 14.4% reduction in serious crimes in 2024, with 1,235 reported incidents compared to 1,406 in 2023, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn disclosed on Monday.
The minister was speaking at his ministry’s end-of-year press conference held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
He told reporters that the statistics were highly significant as they indicate that the nature of crime is ever-evolving in the country.
Guyana records 14% reduction in serious crimes in 2024 – Robeson Benn
“ …crime itself is significant and … has to be viewed against the challenges we have in relation to transnational organized crime and the fact that the nature of criminal activities has changed,” Benn told reporters.
Minister Benn attributed the decrease to strategic interventions and developments in crime-fighting efforts, including the implementation of various crime-reduction programs. He highlighted the success of these initiatives, saying, “In the crime-fighting areas, there was a 14.4% decrease in reported incidents. 820 cases were identified as serious crimes. Surprisingly still, and to the credit of the Force and Criminal Investigation Department there was a clear praise of 51.3% in relation to crimes which were committed and clearly identified by the prosecution from the Guyana Police Force.”
He further explained that the strategic initiatives were linked to the establishment of command centers throughout the country, which have been instrumental in improving the response to criminal activity.
“The initiatives that we have been working on in relation to crime fighting are also linked to our establishment of the command centers. We have the first one, which was established behind this building (the Conference Centre), and four more have already been set up across the coastal areas,” Benn said.
He added that the “Safe City Program” which has expanded into Regions Three, Five and Six, would enhance policing capabilities, particularly in high-population areas.
Although there was a decrease in overall crime, some serious offenses still showed significant figures. According to the crime statistics, 117 murders were recorded in 2024, marking a 25.9% decrease. Robberies saw a substantial drop, with 13 reported cases of robbery (a 40.9% decrease), and 85 incidents of robbery with other instruments (a 36.6% decrease). However, there was a 13.5% increase in robberies using firearms, totaling 286 incidents. Other significant figures include a 12% reduction in robbery with violence, a 13.3% decrease in robbery with aggravation, and a 19.1% decrease in larceny from a person.
On the other hand, some crimes showed an increase. These include rape, which rose by 20.1%, and burglary, which increased by 16.7%. Break and enter larceny incidents decreased by 31.3% while one kidnapping case was reported in 2024.
Benn acknowledged the challenges that face the security sector. “When we look at our statistics and do our reviews and critiques, more could have been done, and would have been done. But we have to pay attention to the environment in which we operate,” he said.
(Guyana records 14% reduction in serious crimes in 2024 – Robeson Benn)
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