Fewer Major Crimes Reported

Police are reporting less major crimes across Belize in the first half of 2017. Official statistics have the figure tallied at eight hundred and sixty-six in total from January to June compared to one thousand and seventy in the same time period in 2016. The murder count stands at seventy as at the end of June, with the murders of Abdush Salam, Julian Tun and Plutarco Noralez taking the count to seventy-three, level with the 2016 figure. This does not include the case of Faye Lin Cannon. Thirteen more shooting incidents have also been recorded. There were significant decreases in reports of burglary, theft and unlawful sexual intercourse. Arrests increased overall, but not significantly in each crime category. Police have collected less drugs except for cocaine and less stolen firearms and rounds of ammunition. By district, the Belize District has actually recorded five more murders this year, at thirty-eight, than last year with thirty-three. Seven more shooting incidents were also recorded in the Belize District than at the same point last year. Negligible changes were observed in the other districts.