Police say serious crime down

Port-of-Spain: The police are today reporting that serious crime has gone down by as much as 50 percent and according to Assistant Superintendent of Police Joanne Archie the decrease has nothing to do with the State of Emergency but with effective crime fighting by the police.

Police figures show that for same period this year to last year, there has been a major decrease in serious crimes.

Break-ins amounted to 549 in 2010, 277 in 2011; fraud, 30 cases in 2010, six in 2011; larceny 481 in 2010, 165 in 2011;  larceny dwelling 63 in 2010, 30 2011; car theft 130 in 2010 and 24 in 2011;  malicious damage 73 in 2010, 43 in 2011; murder 44 for the period in 2010, 22 in the same period in 2011, robbery 517 in 2010, 169 in 2011, sexual offences 76 last year and 26 this year,  wounding (shooting), 59 in 2010 andthis year so far 26.

While crimes have gone down the seizures by officers have gone up. In 2010 narcotics seized totalled 55,  this year its 54, fireams siezed  47 in 2010 in 2011, 114 and ammunition 455 last year in 2011, 5265.