Major Crimes Down for 2017

Police are reporting a significant decrease in the number of major crimes reported across Belize in 2017. Some one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-two major crimes – defined as murder; rape and unlawful sexual intercourse; and robbery, burglary and theft – were reported in 2017 compared to two thousand, one hundred and forty-five in 2016 for a six point eight percent decrease.  Apart from murder, which saw a slight increase from one hundred and thirty-eight to one hundred and forty-two as previously confirmed, there were eleven percent more reported incidents of robbery at two hundred and fifty-eight. The total number of shooting incidents rose from two hundred and thirty-five to two hundred and forty-seven. The most significant decrease was in unlawful sexual intercourse, which fell by near thirty-seven percent, followed by burglary, theft and rape. While there were less reported arrests for murders, down from sixty-one to fifty-four, almost one hundred more total arrests were reported. Percentage-wise, there were arrests for every quarter of crimes reported at twenty-six percent, compared to just over twenty percent in 2016. Police also reported more seizures of drugs and firearms. The Belize District remains the murder capital of the country, with close to six of every ten murders, a total of eighty-three, reported in 2017. Cayo recorded eight fewer murders and there were negligible changes for the other districts. As of tonight, the count for murders countrywide stands at twelve, with the death of Mario Vernon officially listed as manslaughter.