While there was only a tiny increase in overall crime last year, gun-related offences have gone up significantly.
Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce shared that information yesterday while stressing that the Barbados Police Service will be intensifying its efforts to try to arrest the worrying trend.
“There was a slight increase of one per cent from 6 230 cases in 2023 to 6 301 in 2024. In 2024, there were 401 cases involving firearm use and firearm-related offences, compared with 351 similar offences in 2023, an increase of 14 per cent.
“Unfortunately, the number of murders rose from 21 in 2023 to 49 in 2024, a sobering reminder of what can befall us should we not utilise elevated levels of our resources in the war against illegal possession and use of firearms in our communities,” he said while addressing the police service’s annual grand conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre yesterday.
It was held under the theme Pride In Our Legacy, Vision
For Tomorrow: 190 Years Of Tradition And Transformation.
“We have to redouble our efforts to win the battle against various players in the illegal firearm mix: the traffickers, suppliers, users, the stashers and also those persons who conspire with other persons,” Boyce said.
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