Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

Police reports 8% reduction in crime

July 12th, 2018 | Tags: Road Town Tortola Michael Matthews
Commissioner of Police (CoP) Mr Michael B. Matthews. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- In 2017, the Virgin Islands (VI) saw an eight per cent reduction in crime. This is according to information from Commissioner of Police (CoP), Mr Michael B. Matthews, when he appeared before the House of Assembly’s (HoA) Standing Finance Committee, earlier this year.

According to the report on those proceedings, “the CoP stated that the Territory recorded an eight percent reduction in crime overall. This meant there were 111 less victims of crime in 2017.”

However, Mr Matthews also noted that some amount of negative attention was placed the Territory as a result of the 10 homicides in 2017; 8 of which involved the use of illegal firearms.

“The CoP stated that in relation to the homicides, of the 10 homicides in 2017, 9 persons  have been charged in connection with 5 of those homicides. The Police Force is operating currently just over a 50 per cent  detection rate for homicides. He said that they are reasonable confident that there are more to come,” the report outlined.

2017

The Commissioner further stated that the VI was faced with several “avoidable deaths,” referring to the 5 fatal road traffic accidents in 2017--one involving a scooter and the remaining 4 involved vehicles.

The report further documented a statement by the CoP where “he said the most interesting figure is firearm related offences.” It was indicated that in 2017 there was a total of 48 Firearms related offences recorded, compared to 70 such offences the previous year, a significant reduction.  

He noted that the Force has been busy tackling firearm related crimes, adding that in 2017, a total of 18 illegal firearms were seized compared to 13 in 2016. It was also noted that “despite the alarming homicide rate, actual incidents involving firearms decreased by 22 offences in 2017.”

10 Responses to “Police reports 8% reduction in crime ”

  • pat (12/07/2018, 13:47) Like (0) Dislike (3) Reply
    bogus I hope not
  • Hmm (12/07/2018, 13:52) Like (2) Dislike (6) Reply
    Hmm. Uh umph .
  • ... (12/07/2018, 14:25) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    I don't believe
  • No way! (12/07/2018, 14:37) Like (4) Dislike (2) Reply
    Down 8% from what? Last year's looting and robberies where crime went up God only knows how much percent and you come with an 8% drop in crime? I just do not see how you get that statistic any way you look at it! 2017 had to have been one of the worst crime years on record.
  • Seriously! (12/07/2018, 14:44) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    I think the decrease in population should take more credit than the total lack of law enforcement. Address the scooters. RBVIPF needs money for CCTV cameras and to patrol land and borders.
  • Winston (12/07/2018, 17:05) Like (9) Dislike (1) Reply
    A decrease of 8% is actually an increase because our population has decreased by at least 30 %.
  • not amused (12/07/2018, 19:59) Like (15) Dislike (1) Reply
    so when are the psychos barfing their 'music' out of their mobile speakers into everyones' homes going to be
    reckoned with? and the skooter riders who think everyone is there to piss off? no wonder personal guns frowned
    on in the usvi and bvi - it would be a shootout. so many doing whatever the hell they want to annoy others and
    this is without the serious stuff included. your crime is out of control and immunity to the law seems to be
    available on a 'pay for view' basis. big entities, little ones, they can not have to abide by the law or just good
    manners based on some kind of invisible pay for system. too much. even banks can do this, you know which.
    the premiers' hennesy cabinet is funded by this. democrats here and in usa live off of this.
  • Political Observer (PO) (12/07/2018, 21:56) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    A spreadsheet with what different categories of crimes were in 2016 and their increases or decreases in 2017 would have paint a different picture and put things in context for the public. What crimes decrease, if any, ie violent, property, petty........etc? Were the decrease in misdemeanors or felonies or both? What contribution did the 20+% decrease in population have in the overall 8% decrease in crime?
  • musa (13/07/2018, 05:37) Like (9) Dislike (1) Reply
    crime you say ...........how come 7 millon missing ,,the preacher gone vip and all the wall talk gone quite,,, all of this is crime too top cop
  • not amused (13/07/2018, 08:13) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Then size of population has decreased so crime has risen. It's amazing RVIPF have any Stats. No experience officers for the future.


Create a comment


Submit comment

Create a comment

Submit comment
Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.