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135 cases of murder/manslaughter up to July
- Gun use in robberies skyrockets
Up to the end of July, there were 124 murders and 11 cases of manslaughter countrywide, up from a total of 56 incidents of murder and four for manslaughter during the same period in 2002.
Gun use is also on the rise in Guyana and by the end of July it was deemed the preferred weapon for robberies.
Along with the 43 per cent increase in the use of firearms, violent crime has increased 5% compared to the corresponding period last year.
According to figures compiled by the Guyana Police Force, there were 470 cases of firearm use during incidents of robbery under arms from January to July, 141 more than in 2002.
Most prevalent is robbery under arms, which is up by 11% with 765 reported cases for the period under review, while robbery with violence has dropped from 147 incidents in 2002, to 102 during the first seven months of this year.
Ordinary robbery, the police say, is up by 50 per cent, but the incidents are fewer than other violent crimes. The police have recorded 18 cases of robbery, six more than the corresponding period in 2002; robbery with aggravation has shown a 7% increase with 89 incidents.
The crime spree in the country escalated last year after five men - Andrew Douglas, Dale Moore, Shawn Brown, Mark Fraser and Troy Dick - escaped from the Camp Street Jail on February 23. The jailbreak and ensuing crime spree has led to the murders of close to 200 persons, including several policemen who were deliberately targeted. With the subsequent killing of four of the escapees as well as a number of their cohorts, the violence has diminished.
In recent months, there has been a marked reduction in the number of robbery/murders against householders and businesspeople. Instead, the incidence of execution-style killings is on the increase by unknown assassins. The most recent was the discovery of the bullet-riddled bodies of two Guyanese men and their Jamaican friend at a ganja camp off the Linden- Soesdyke Highway.
However, what the recently released figures show is that there are fewer cases of street mugging, and that bandits are using less violence during robberies. According to the stats, there is a 31% decrease in the number of incidents involving robbery with violence and a 27% drop in the cases of larceny from the person. From January to July last year the police had recorded 147 cases of robbery with violence and 211 cases of larceny from the person. These reports have dropped to 102 and 153, respectively.
Rape, too, has shown a 7% increase, with 75 reported cases for this year, five more than last year.
Although there have been more convictions this year for certain crimes, most of the matters are either still being investigated, or are pending in court. Of increasing concern is the growing trend in drive-by shootings.
Since July, the killings have continued with the murder of taxi-driver Sherwin Manohar, whose body was recovered early in August on the University of Guyana access road; the fatal shooting of dancehall promoter Andre Williams called ‘Dougla Andre’ earlier this month; the execution of 32-year-old Eion Forte in East La Penitence and the fatal stabbing of 31-year-old Philippa Harrison two Saturdays ago; as well as the beating death of 55-year-old Michael Stanford Cush last week along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, just to name a few.
It is the view of one senior police officer that gun violence is on the increase because of individual conflicts.
Article by Kim Lucas. (Stabroek News, 14 Sep 2003)
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