Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn today reported to the National Assembly that due to the efforts of the government, there has been a steep reduction in all forms of serious crimes, and an increase in the prison population.
The Minister who overlooks public security said cases of robberies, murders and violence have seen a 20% decrease in the past year.
“Crime has been reduced and I am saying it has a lot to do with our support to the Guyana Police Force with the provisions of new vehicles, with new training with new efforts with respect to crime and violence and the prevention and mitigating of it,” Benn said during his budget debate presentation.
According to the Home Affairs Minister, the approach of the government is to ensure that at the level of the Guyana Police Force and its interaction with the public, there be a less lethal engagement. He believes that has also contributed to the reduction in crime.
But although, Mr. Benn told the Assembly, crime is down, he reported a 14% increase in the prison population.
“We have had a tremendous increase in the prison population over the period by some 14%, 2,156 presumably most bad people in the prison, we are talking about putting in with the new prison infrastructure we are having at Lusignan a school, a health center, a new woman’s prison, we are talking about having education and a release programme for them,” Mr. Benn noted.
Further, Mr. Benn reported that there has been a dramatic increase in the seizure of narcotics. He said there has been an increase in drug seizures due to better intelligence gathering being done.
The Government has been warned about what appears to be a resurgence of execution styled killings in the country. There have been a number of execution styled murders in the past year, with at least three such killings recorded since the start of this year, along with other murders.
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