Use of firearms for violent crimes increases by 4%

The Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) wants the Interior Ministry and other law enforcement agencies to implement policies that will reduce the increasing number of violent crimes executed with firearms.

According to the agency, the execution of violent crimes with the aid of firearms has increased by 4% compared to 2021 hence the need to curb the trend.

This was contained in the Bureau’s Public Safety and Crime Report for the period January-June 2022

Below is the summary of the report:

1. Total public safety incidents reported decreased by 0.2% over the same period in Y2021, being a total of 664 events for Y2021 as against 663 events for Y2022.

2. The total reported deaths monitored increased by 9%, from 501 deaths in 2021 to 546 deaths in Y2022.

3. Total reported injuries monitored for the period in 2022 increased by over 35% compared to the same period in Y2021.

TRANSPORTATION-RELATED EVENTS

4. Reported transportation-related events (dominated by road crashes) increased by 19% with a 25% increase in fatalities(deaths) compared to the same period in Y2021.

PREVENTABLE/ACCIDENTAL DEATHS

5. Preventable deaths 1 (also referred to as accidental/unintentional deaths) recorded in the first half of Y2022 increased by 22% over the same period in Y2021. Approximately two (2) persons are killed accidentally each day in a preventable occurrence.

6. Transportation-related incidents (mainly road traffic crashes) are the leading cause of accidental deaths in the first half of 2022; and deaths increased by 19% over the same period in 2021 1 Death arising out of ‘accidental’ events such as road crashes, building collapses, among others. Preventable deaths and injuries do not include natural causes of death, such as illnesses, or deaths arising from violent crimes.

VIOLENT CRIMES

7. Overall, reported violent crimes decreased by about 12% in Y2022 compared to the same period in Y2021. Reported incidents of murder/manslaughter, armed robbery, and civil disorder for the period of Y2022 decreased over Y2021, at 20%, 19%, and 22% respectively.

8. Reported deaths arising out of violent crimes increased by 1.2% in Y2022 compared to the same period in Y2021. Despite the decrease in the number of violent crime incidents, more people continue to fall victim to violent crime activities, leading to an increase in deaths resulting from violent crime activities.

9. Reported use of firearms in the commission of violent crimes in Y2022 increased by more than 4% over the same period in Y2021.

10. Reported cases of illegal arms trafficking, possession, and unauthorized use increased by over 300% in the first half of Y2022 over the same period in Y2021

11. Data monitored showed a 2% increase in reported police arrests for the first half of Y2022 compared to the same period in Y2021.