PoS Division: Increase in murders since last year

THE Port of Spain Division has recorded an increase in the murder toll for the year so far, from 36 in 2017 to 42 in 2018. This announcement was made yesterday by acting Insp Randall Mc Guirk from the PoS division at the weekly briefing at police headquarters, Port of Spain.

Mc Guirk said the PoS division has a detection rate of 36 per cent, the fourth highest among the nine police divisions.

“So far, the Port of Spain Division, under the command of acting Snr Supt Floris Hodge-Griffith, has recorded marked improvements in the overall detection rate, an increase in firearm seizures and a reduction in different types of larceny-related offences for the period January 1 to July 24, 2018, when compared with the same time frame in 2017.

“This also represents a 125 per cent increase in the rate of detection in the division, for the same time last year, which stood at 16 per cent.”

Mc Guirk said firearm seizures went up by 43 per cent for the period under review, while there was a 16 per cent reduction in general larceny, 54 per cent drop in house larceny , a 19 per cent decline in narcotic offences and a 52 per cent decrease in fraud-related offences.

He said larceny-related offences generally occur between noon and 4 pm and between 8pm and midnight.

“Thus far, for the comparative period under review, there has been a slight decline, of five per cent, in the number of serious reported crimes. In analysing the data, reports of robberies and larceny from the person occur on weekends – particularly Fridays and Saturdays. Accordingly members of the public are advised to be extra vigilant of their surroundings during the course of this school vacation period, where there is an increase in activities, including shopping.”