Ups and downs in crime statistics |13 January 2015

• Arrive Alive campaign proves to be successful

Mr Bursik and Mr Jacklin during their presentations

The police have reported both rise and decline in the various crime categories in the last 12 months whereas the newly launched Arrive Alive campaign has been described as proving to be successful.

These were made public during presentations by superintendents Bruce Bursik and Sean Jacklin on the Crime Statistics, Crime Stopper initiative and the Arrive Alive campaign during Friday’s meeting of the Seychelles Police Force with the Minister for Home Affairs and Transport Joel Morgan, who is also responsible for the police.

The meeting, held at the International Conference Centre (ICCS), has become an annual event on the police calendar.

As stated by the Seychelles Commissioner of Police Ernest Quatre during his speech, it is an occasion for the minister to address the police on its achievements, challenges, failures and the way forward to overcome these challenges in the coming year for the betterment of the force.

“In 2014 the police maintained a tough stance on crimes and launched two initiatives to combat and prevent crime. One of these initiatives is the crime prevention strategy known as Crime Stopper. Crime Stopper’s first phase was to educate the public against opportunistic crimes thus preventing crime before it occurs. Furthermore to encourage public contribution and provide pieces of information on crime,” Mr Bursik informed the audience.
He added that this phase will continue this year and beyond.

Mr Bursik said during 2014 they received two crime stopper channels during the campaign. There were 50 information calls that came through the open line and 56 through the anonymous call line, totaling 106 vital information from both lines to the police.

There was a 31% increase in crime from 2006 to 2011 and this figure was brought significantly down by 2013 by the Seychelles police.
In 2014 a 3% increase in the total number of crimes was recorded.

Crimes related to the administration of justice rates to be low and shows no sign of an upward trend.

As for arson and criminal damage they have declined by 44.12% from 2011 to 2014. Fraud and related offences peeked in 2013 but has shown a decline of 19.3% by 2014. Sexual offences decreased by 28.5% and is now at its lowest since 2010.

Murder, manslaughter, dangerous driving and deaths have seen ups and downs so there’s no distinct upward or downward trend in these categories.

Other serious offences like abduction, child abuse, grievous bodily harm, hit and run, physical abuse, continued a downward trend in 2014 and is well below the trend mark for this category of crime.

Burglaries and housebreaking has seen an increase for the last 12 months while public order offences decreased by 28.3 % in the last 12 months. Offences against a person decreased by 9.5% while robbery saw a dramatic decrease of 55.66% in 2013 but recorded a 7% increase last year.

“Although we are below the trend mark of this category of crime, we need to double our efforts and put a lot of work to curbing it,” said Mr Bursik.

As for theft, Mr Bursik said it has increased by 10% in the last 12 months. Though below the trend mark, he said, this is another category that the police have to focus on this year before it reaches the trend mark.

Drug-related cases of which data collection started in 2013, saw an increase of 39% in the last 12 months.

Mr Bursik also talked on pro-active policing where the police have to catch the criminals and prevent crimes from happening. He also thanked his police colleagues for their hard work, dedication, and discipline despite the challenges which he said they can beat.

As for the Arrive Alive campaign initiated towards the end of 2014, Superintendent Jacklin said the objectives were to reduce and prevent fatalities on the roads, increase police visibility by conducting road blocks especially on busy highways and to adopt a zero tolerance to drinking and driving.

The campaign is a joint collaborative effort between the traffic section, dog unit, Public Security Support Wing, National Crime Services Division (NCSD), Vice- Intervention Component (VIC) and police stations.

“This campaign has proved to be a success and has now become standard operational procedure,” said Supt. Jacqueline.