Crime down in 2021

Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce has reported that crime fighting strategies implemented by the Barbados Police Service (BPS) led to a reduction in criminal activity last year.

He said that at the end of 2021, there were 5 392 offences reported as compared to 7 079 in 2020, reflecting a 23.8 percent drop in overall crime.

Delivering a report at Wednesday’s opening ceremony of the BPS Annual Grand Conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, the top cop also reported a 22 per cent decrease in murders, with 41 being recorded in 2020 and 32 in 2021.

According to Boyce, of the 32 murders committed last year, 17 involved the use of a firearm. He added that in that year, 56 firearms and over 700 rounds of ammunition were recovered, all of which came from outside Barbados.

The Commissioner of Police indicated that 962 drug offences were recorded last year, representing a 33 per cent decline from the 1 440 drug cases in 2020. And he said there remained an undeniable link between firearms and drug trafficking.

Boyce also shared that as lawmen continued efforts to educate the public on road safety and accident prevention, 5 849 accidents were recorded in 2021, compared to 6 079 the previous year.

“There were also 16 044 traffic offences recorded in 2020 in comparison to 14 537 in 2021, a decrease of nine per cent,” he added.

Boyce, who noted that the Police Service was also forced to battle the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while fighting to keep the country’s crime rate down, thanked officers and civilian staff for their steadfast dedication and fortitude in that difficult time.

“Of concern, however, was the ability of the Police Service to ensure administrative and operational business continuity…. At the end of 2021, the strength of the Police Service stood at 1 252. We were operating at a deficit of 278 police officers,” he said.

The police chief added that the pandemic had also affected the BPS’ community presence, with the New Orleans Police Post currently the only community police post in operation at this time. He said while community policing is a major element in the Police Service’s crime prevention efforts, the community posts at Haynesville, St James and Gall Hill, Christ Church have had to close.

However, Boyce gave the assurance that if enlistment numbers return to expected levels, similar community outreach intervention programmes will be re-engaged.

He said while the use of technology is not a new concept to the Police Service, the acquisition of some items of modern technology has been encouraging, with dash cams and in-car camera systems, drones and extended CCTV coverage being utilised.

“When this is completed, we will be able to increase the visibility and coverage of the island. There is also the body cam which has also been rolled out and is continuing to be rolled out,” Boyce said.

“It is expected that by the end of the conference, all members of the Barbados Police Service would embrace the strategies, technological solutions and the overall trajectory that the organisation has in its vision.

“We must embrace the modernisation of the Police Service in order to stay current and on the cutting edge of law enforcement processes. We must be proactive in our efforts and remember that excellence is achievable not without sacrifice and discipline,” he added. (AH)