In a closed-door press briefing held this afternoon at the Racoon Street Police Station Conference Room, among other topics discussed between representatives of the press and Commissioner of Police Crispin Jeffries, was the (at this point) unofficial statistics relating to the crime situation in Belize for the first 9 months of the year.
All statistics quoted in this article are valid for September 28 (Monday); the official statistics will be released later this week.
A total of 6,147 crime reports have been lodged for the year so far, of which 2, 567 were major crimes (defined as murder, robbery, burglary, theft, rape and carnal knowledge). The Department recorded 73 murders, 45 cases of carnal knowledge, 16 cases of rape, 433 cases of robbery, 931 burglaries, 739 thefts, and 294 cases of specialized theft (motor vehicles, vessels, cattle, etc.) from January 1 to September 28.
2,807 other crimes were reported – including 695 summary jurisdiction offences, 55 crime control cases (for things such as displaying of gang insignia), 8 cases involving intoxicating liquor, 14 for lottery offences and 1 related to environmental protection, in the Benque Viejo jurisdiction.
Commissioner Jeffries noted that one is about three times as likely this year (78%) to have someone steal from you as opposed to harming you directly by rape or murder (22%).
“Volume crimes”, defined as harm, aggravated assault, wounding, damage to property, threatening words, and common assault, comprised almost ¾ (74.8%) of crimes listed under “other crimes.”
Looking at where crimes have been committed, Eastern Division (Belize City, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Ladyville and Hattieville) account for 43% of major crimes, 35% of other crimes and 36% of summary offences. Belize City in particular is violent, as 874 major crimes, 750 other crimes and 174 summary offences were reported here up to September 28 – easily more than three times the rate of any other jurisdiction.
Hotspots pointed out by the Commissioner include San Ignacio and Belmopan, where gangs and internecine rivalries have made life tough for the officers in those formations. San Ignacio youth are in a long-running rivalry with Santa Elena counterparts that made the headlines in June after young Gilbert Novelo was stabbed to death outside a nightclub, while in Roaring Creek, the “Another World” area is home to two fierce rival gangs fighting for turf.
In the North, particularly Orange Walk, crime is more likely to take the form of assault and harm on individuals rather than theft and murder.
While the paper summary we received does not directly compare 2008 and 2009 (the full statistics will), the Commissioner said that so far, 2009 is actually seeing less crime than 2008. But as Channel 7’s Jules Vasquez pointed out, Belizeans who have sadly grown used to looking over their own shoulders in anticipation of being attacked, may not be inclined to believe that analysis.
In terms of arrests, police have made 985 arrests for major crimes, constituting a 38% rate, and 3,779 arrests for all crimes, or 61.4%. Breaking down the arrest statistics for major crimes, police have a 75% detection rate for murders: 55 arrests in 75 cases. Detection rates for burglary and robbery are poorer, at 33 and 49%.
In other police news, the Commissioner confirmed today that 4 more cameras will be installed around the City to help deter crime. According to Commissioner Jeffries the Department has gotten good use out of the six original cameras installed last year, though one or two have gone down since then. The Commissioner, when asked by Amandala, declined to say exactly where the cameras will be installed.
In response to Tuesday’s deaths of Dylan Ayuso and Norman Gillett, the Commissioner said that the Department was focusing on quick response and sound investigation, which, he noted, resulted in the quick capture of a suspect in the Gillett case and narrowing down of suspects in the Ayuso case. The Commissioner attributed the recent spike of murders, dating back to Ellis Meighan’s execution on the Boulevard on September 20, to rivalries and vendettas between the attackers and the victims: “We saw a spate of incidents that we knew would have had some rivalries. We stepped up our responses by patrols, our intelligence team is meeting as we speak in this room to look at other measures.”
Commissioner Jeffries explained that a good number of the recent murders were planned and involved staking out and tracking the victim, as demonstrated on Monday’s shooting of Brandon Smith and two minor bystanders walking home, which the Commissioner called “unfortunate.”
Responding to suggestions in the community that he had “grown soft” since taking office in May after previously demonstrating a take-charge, no-nonsense attitude to law enforcement in his distinguished career, Jeffries assured:
“One would have seen me in other modes of operation when it was my role and responsibility to be upfront leading the charge. My responsibility now is to direct the charge, direct others to be upfront and one would see Mr. Henderson, Mr. Blackett, Mr. Grinage and other officers almost every time out there in front leading the charge. How when it is necessary, I do join them but it is not my everyday responsibility to be upfront. If one would think that I’ve gone soft, then they would want to know the countless hours that I am spending everyday strategically deploying resources, planning and executing plans to impact crime problems.”
The Commissioner however noted that more could be done to ensure convictions of criminals in court and to intervene in families, particularly of criminal offenders, to turn younger would-be “bad men” on the right path.
These press meetings are expected to become a regular event for the Department.