Police Commissioner: Crime figures show positive trend

I am pleased to present what amounts to quite a positive year-end report on crime statistics for 2013. The overall picture is the long-term trend of total crime in Bermuda continues to be decreasing, and for the first time in five years, all major crime categories are also on a decreasing trend.

Comparing 2013 with the previous year: total crime is down from 3,990 offences to 3,480 – a reduction of 12.8%. Total crime for the year, and total crime for the 4^th quarter of 2013, both stand as the lowest crime rates recorded in the last 14 years. Comparatively, total crime has fallen by 43% since the year 2000.

But while the total crime figures have been moving in a positive direction for several years now, our community was still impacted by crimes of violence last year. Bermuda recorded 5 murders in 2013, 3 of which were committed with firearms. That compares equally with a total of 5 murders in 2012, although all of which were firearms related. An additional 5 people were injured last year through firearms use, and that compares with 7 injuries the year before. The most notable statistic for the 4^th quarter of 2013 is that, for the first time in 5 years, no-one was fatally shot and no-one was injured by firearms during that period.

• Crimes against the Person for 2013 fell from 677 to 615, or 9%
• Crimes against the Community fell from 772 to 531, or 31%
• Crimes against Property fell from 2,541 to 2,334, or 8%. Total burglaries recorded a 5-year low with 479 residential, 144 commercial and 11 tourist accommodation burglaries being reported for the year.

An estimated total of 35 Kg of controlled drugs were seized in 2013. Cannabis accounts for 2/3 of that amount, and the total seizures are collectively valued at $2.9M. The majority of seizures were made at the borders by the Customs Department and account for 60% of the total.

Total traffic collisions are down slightly from 1,815 in 2012 to 1,774 in 2013 – or 2.3%. The yearly trend for collisions is slightly downward, from 38 collisions a week 5 years ago to 36 collisions per week last year. This still represents an average of more than 5 collisions each day, which seems to be a fairly high number for such a small jurisdiction as ours. More tragically, 10 fatal collisions occurred last year, compared to 9 in each of the two preceding years and 13 in 2010. It is an important point to make that, in the last five years, more than twice the number of lives lost through gun crimes have been lost through fatal collisions: 24 shooting deaths as compared with 54 road traffic fatalities in the same period.

There are clearly some very positive indicators in last year’s crime report. We believe the reductions in crime have resulted in part from robust law enforcement, but more importantly from community support, community efforts and community action. The police are now examining the crime report and other supporting documents such as the Public Perception Survey, to consider our annual policing plan that is due to be refreshed on 1^st April. So far the operational priorities arising from the documents centre around: (1) Gangs and Antisocial Behaviour; (2) Engagement with the Community; and (3) Road Safety. I will be working on a draft of the Policing Plan in the coming weeks and I would like to extend an early invitation to the public to attend a Town Hall meeting to discuss our annual plan further. It will be held on Thursday 20^th February at St. James Church Hall.