BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Strategies employed by the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force have yielded fruit, evident by an 18 percent reduction in crime during the first half of 2009.
The revelation was made yesterday (Aug. 31) by Commissioner of Police (COP) Austin Williams at a press conference held to officially release the Policing Plan 2009-2011 for public scrutiny and perusal.
He informed that during the period of January-June 2008, there were 1163 reported crimes. During the same period in 2009 there were 958, registering a difference of 205 crimes or, 17.55 percent.
Comparative statistics highlighting general reductions in crime were also issued by the force’s Press and Public Relations Office.
“Offences against the person” were reduced by 21.95 percent from 123 in 2008 to 96 in 2009, while “offences against morality” decreased by 45 percent from 40 in 2008 to 22 in 2009. The category of “other offences against property” was also reduced by 18.4 percent, while a slight increase of less than three percent in the category of “offences against lawful authority” was recorded.
Despite these general reductions, the COP explained that a major concern to the police force is murders and crimes against property.
“There were reductions in most of the categories except murder, which continues to be our greatest concern. In 2008 January – June, there were 11 murders. During the same period in 2009, there were 13. There [were also] increases in burglary, 50 in 2008 compared to 65 in 2009.”
Williams noted that “crimes against property” continues to be “our largest category of crime committed in the Federation, representing over 70 percent of all reported crimes”.
Other areas of increase include burglary, which saw a 30 percent increase, and attempted murder, which saw a 700 percent increase from 0 in 2008 to 7 in 2009. In 2007 during the period January – June, two reports of attempted murder were recorded.
Commissioner Williams told SKNVibes that he will continue working closely with his team and the community as they endeavour to drive the crime rate further downward.
