Lowest number of major crimes recorded in 2024

Having made significant progress in enhancing safety countrywide, Guyana recorded its lowest crime figures for 2024, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said during his end-of-year press conference at State House on Tuesday.

The president noted that these improvements have contributed to a 13.6 per cent reduction in the national crime rate compared to 2023.

“Over the last 10 years, the lowest number of murders was recorded this year. Over the last ten years, the lowest number of all categories of robberies were recorded this year. Over a ten-year period, break-and-enter and larceny reports were at the lowest in the year 2024,” President Ali said.

A staggering 71 per cent of the country’s murders were cleared in 2024, which means that the perpetrators of homicides were arrested and charged accordingly.

This statistic, the president noted, is no ordinary accomplishment. It involves apprehending the suspects who may have fled the scene of the crime and then ensuring they are charged and prosecuted.

President Ali attributed the significantly high clearance rates of major crimes to the government’s investment in advanced technology and equipment, which has strengthened the capacity of law enforcement agencies.

“These decreases are as a result of technologies like the safe command centres and the surveillance system that we have put in place…What we are also doing now is beefing up our immigration system to help us track who is entering and exiting the country,” President Ali said.

Electronic gates will have been installed at certain ports in order to enhance security and regulate exit and entry.

According to the head of state, there will also be an expansion of the “public-imaging” technology and soft approaches such as community policing, aimed at fostering safety in areas that are deemed to be “hot spots.”

He further highlighted that 2024 saw the highest seizure of illegal firearms in the nation’s history. In addition, the diligent efforts of law enforcement officers led to record-high prosecutions and charges against individuals involved in drug trafficking.

President Ali commended the remarkable work of the Guyana Police Force and other law enforcement agencies, expressing his satisfaction with their performance based on this year’s reports.

He emphasised that his administration will continue to invest in security in order to create a safe country rather than just settle for a safe city.