By KRYSTEL ROLLE, NG Staff Reporter

Even though the numbers of armed robberies and rapes declined this year when compared to the same period last year, the overall crime rate has increased by 14 percent, with murders, robberies and crimes against properties accounting for the rise, according to statistics released by police officials yesterday.

Director of Research and Planning Sergeant Chaswell Hanna said there was a seven percent increase in murders, while robberies and attempted robberies increased by 31 percent and 87 percent respectively during the period January 1, 2008 to October 21, 2008.

Hanna was speaking at the Chamber of Commerce's Crime Prevention Seminar at Police Headquarters yesterday afternoon.

Up to October, the murder count was 65 compared to the 61 recorded up to October 2007. The murder count has since risen to 67 with the latest one occurring on Wednesday.

Reported rapes decreased by 13 percent from 119 in 2007 to 103 in 2008, while armed robberies decreased by 15 percent from 705 in 2007 to 597 in 2008.

Of the 63 murders recorded up to October 21, Hanna said drug trafficking, revenge killing and domestic violence were among the list of identified motives.

National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest, who also spoke at the seminar, said virtually all Caribbean nations are above the internationally-accepted threshold for murder, set a five per 100,000 of the population. He added that The Bahamas is in the range of 22 to 24 per 100,000.

"A murder rate this high would have been unthinkable just two decades ago," he said.

Nineteen of the 61 murders that occurred up to October 21, 2008 took place on a Saturday, which was identified as the most popular day for that crime, while 16 murders occurred in and around business establishments.

An overwhelming majority of the murder victims died as a result of gunshot or stab wounds, Hanna said. Additionally, most of the victims and perpetrators were between the ages of 18 and 25.

Acting Commissioner Reginald Ferguson said police have taken 250 illegal guns off the streets so far this year, compared to 211 for the entire 2007, representing a 15.6 percent difference.

Up to October 21 this year, reports of manslaughter decreased from three in 2007 to one in 2008. Reports of unlawful sex also decreased by eight percent, from 216 in 2007 to 198 in 2008. Five incidents of attempted murder were recorded in 2007 and also 2008.

Crimes against the property saw an increase in every category, marking an 18 percent rise over last year's statistics.

Stealing from vehicles nearly recorded a 100 percent increase, jumping from 644 in 2007 to 1,252 in 2008. Burglaries increased by 32 percent, from 287 in 2007 to 380 in 2008. Housebreaking and shopbreaking recorded slight increases, jumping by five percent and four percent respectively.

Stolen vehicle reports showed a notable increase, rising by 20 percent. Statistics show that there were 929 reports in 2007 compared to 1,117 in 2008. Stealing increased by 11 percent, going from 1,111 in 2007 to 1,231 in 2008 during the period in question.

Minister Turnquest said there is good reason why The Bahamas has to focus on halting and reversing violent crime.

"Crimes such as these have profound negative consequences for our country at multiple levels," he said. "Violent crimes challenge the criminal justice system and law enforcement, and result in overcrowding in our prisons. They increase the fear of crime in the society and turn families against families with serious implications for social cohesion."

Turnquest said other crimes, such as pilferage — a common occurrence in the supermarkets — are equally a cause for concern.