Archive for March 3rd, 2012
Crime falls by only 1.3%
(CNS): Crime fell by the slimmest of margins in 2011 when compared to 2010, according to figures released on Friday by the RCIPS, but there were half as many offences on Cayman’s roads last year than the year before. Between January and December 756 serious crimes were reported to police compared to 766 in 2010 — a dip of 1.31%. Volume and less serious crimes fell by just over five per cent and drug arrests increased slightly by just over 2.68%. The dramatic shift in the figures, however, was in the number of traffic offences, which fell from 8,888 in 2010 to 4,429 last year.
Despite the significant fall in this category, ten people were killed on the roads in 2011 compared to seven the year before, an increase of 43%. Non-fatal accidents fell slightly by 2% but there were still 1,430 smashed on Cayman’s roads last year.
Although the crime statistics show a marginal decline, there was just one less robbery in 2011 than the year before, and six people were murdered in Grand Cayman last year compared to five in 2010. There was also an increase of 25% in attempted murders. Both burglaries and aggravated burglaries fell slightly but assault GBH and other offences of violence such as wounding increased.
The dramatic fall in traffic offences was largely due to the fall in tickets given to people not wearing seatbelts. It is not clear if this was down to an improvement in compliance or a decline in enforcement. Meanwhile, although 142 people were charged with DUI in 2011 this was a 21% decline on the 2010 figures when 179 people were caught after they got behind the wheel having consumed alcohol.
See crime and traffic statistics below or visit the RCIPS website