Concentrate on your shopping – Police have security plans
Regional Division 4 is looking forward to an incident free festive season with increased police patrol and other security measures around the city. “We will be having adequate police presence, especially in the shopping areas,” says Asst Commissioner and Commander Simon McBean. The commercial areas along with several others would see police booths and police patrols among other features, “we did proper assessments over the years to understand what is required,” Commander McBean explained, “our intention is for people to do their shopping and concentrate on enjoying their holidays, be assured that the police will be out in their numbers,” the Commander promises.
The police in Regional Division 4 have recorded a decline in robberies under arm where firearm were used, in a presentation to his counterparts over the weekend, McBean pointed to a 6.8% decrease in such robberies between the period January 1, 2019 to October 2020. Even with that decline, there has been an increase in robberies under arm using other instruments, there was a 17.8% increase during that period.
The police have also recorded 70% decline in robberies with violence, a 21% decline in robberies with aggravation and a 14% decline in reports of larceny from persons. Asked if this decline in such crimes could be attributed to underreporting, Commander McBean explained that it could be but said that a decline in such crimes have been recorded over the past seven years. In 2013, serious crimes stood at more than 4000 and by 2019 such crimes fell to more than 2600. In 2013, there were more than 140 reports of robbery with violence and in 2019 there were 95 such reports, incidents of break and enter fell from more than 760 to more than 360 between that seven-year period.
Police divisions across the country have been activating their security plans for the season. Foot patrols would be out and about between 8:00 hrs and 18:00 hrs daily with motorcycle and motor vehicle patrols done on a 24-hr basis. There will also be booths placed along several key areas.
