Burglary and robbery see increase through first five months of 2022; murders down slightly

By Aaron Humes: Official statistics from the Belize Crime Observatory indicate that on the whole major crime appears to have been stabilized through the first five months of the year.

The total of major crimes (murder, burglary, robbery, theft, rape, and unlawful sexual intercourse) is 384 in 2022 compared to 362 in 2021, an increase of six percent.

There was an increase in burglary in particular in April and May, with a total of 206 reported for the period compared to 193 last year. Burglaries countrywide rose to 54 in April and 50 in May from 38 reported in March. There was an increase of 27 burglaries from January to May 2022 compared to 2021 in the Belize District and an increase of eight in the Corozal District. Robberies rose by one overall to 66 and thefts by seven to 37, although Belize District saw a rise of 14 in cases of robbery from 28 to 42.

47 murders were reported through May, a decrease of three from the same time period in 2021. The Belize District reported 26 murders, the same as in the time period last year, while Cayo recorded 10 murders, down from 15.

Interestingly, whereas Corozal and Orange Walk recorded no murders through the first five months of 2021, they have collectively six murders between them so far in 2022 – three in each district. Conversely, Stann Creek and Toledo recorded nine murders between them through May of 2021, but there have been none so far in 2022 in Toledo and only five in Stann Creek, the same as last year. The number of shooting incidents fell by 12 to 108 through May of this year.

28 incidents of rape and unlawful sexual intercourse were reported in 2022 compared to 2021.

Arrests rose in all categories except for rape, with 119 reported this year compared to 89 last year.

With a decrease in the number of landed drug planes (for which the Department does not keep accessible statistics), the amount of cocaine taken off the streets has significantly decreased. There was a million-gram bust last January which was not replicated so far this year. Police are taking less marijuana off the street as well generally in terms of seeds and plants.

As for firearms, there have been six fewer reported stolen and a total of 121, an increase of 61.3 percent, taken off the streets compared to last year.

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