Crime rate drops 14 per cent despite thousands of serious crimes

National Security Minister Brig. John Sandy told the Senate Tuesday nearly 10,000 serious crimes were committed in the last six and a half months.

He presented the latest police statistics on crime in response to a question from opposition Senator Fitzgerald Hinds, who questioned government's ability to deal with the problem.

Both Hinds and the minister said they are shocked at the figures

Here's the breakdown of serious crimes from June 10, 2010 to the present time:

• Murder - 232
• Wounding and shooting - 294
• Kidnapping - 50
• Sexual offences - 396
• Burglaries and break-ins - 2440
• Robberies - 2569
• Fraud – 96
• General larceny – 2032
• Larceny – 656
• Larceny, dwelling house – 304
• Malicious damage – 321
• Narcotic offences – 251
• Other – 116

Sandy said although the figures are high and unacceptable, they represent an overall decrease of 14 per cent.

He said government is getting more aggressive in dealing with the problem and plans to hold consultations with stakeholders to deal with the crime situation. He also promised better intelligence gathering and community policing.