Commissioner of Police Michael DeSilva - Good afternoon. I have called this press conference today to report on Bermuda’s crime statistics for the first and second quarters of 2011 which is the period between 1st January and 30th June. We have seen upticks on many of the categories. This is not by itself worrying: the first quarter crime rate was the lowest it has been in years so an increase in the second quarter is not that surprising. It is difficult to see the big picture when comparing month to month or quarter to quarter because the periods are so short. We would be concerned if the numbers continue to rise, but right now the year on year comparisons indicate that the overall crime rate is relatively low in comparison to recent times.

FIREARMS

There have been 27 confirmed firearms incidents this year, from which 5 people have been fatally shot and 4 others have been injured. The pace of confirmed incidents has slowed down: this time last year there had been 6 deaths and 14 injuries. We don’t take a huge amount of comfort from this while lives are still being lost through gun violence, but the lull is a welcomed change from 12 months ago. It has allowed us to keep the pressure on enforcement operations while dedicating resources to quality investigations.

Since May 2009 we have had 15 trials for murder, attempted murder or firearms offences that have resulted in 12 guilty verdicts. 1 person is currently standing trial, and another 16 people have been indicted and are awaiting trial.

So far in 2011 we have recovered 5 firearms and 2 stun guns. In 2010 we recovered 11 firearms, 2 stun guns and 7 “BB” or air pistols.

ARRESTS

1,334 arrests were made in the last three months. Between 2009 and now, the average monthly arrest rate has increased each year from 380, to 420, to 435 arrests per month.

STOP AND SEARCH

Police conducted 5,968 stop and searches in the second quarter. The average monthly rate by comparison has risen from 300 per month in 2009, to 800 per month in 2009, to 1,700 per month during this year. The vast majority of these searches are conducted under Section 315F of the Criminal Code (search in anticipation of violence). They are designed to disrupt the rhythm of gang members and discourage people from carrying weapons. I would like to thank the rest of Bermuda’s public for their patience and support through these operations when they are unavoidable inconvenienced.

DRUGS

Drug enforcement continues to increase over the long term and the rate of arrests and drug seizures is about 2½ times greater than it was two years ago. Much of this is attributed to 215 street level seizures by the police, but significant quantities are being detected at the ports of entry by HM Customs. Over $800K worth of drugs was seized by Customs during this quarter, with another $125K worth taken from the streets. Combined with overseas interdictions, the total drug seizures for the year stands at $6.95M.

TOTAL CRIME

Total crime for the Q2 of 2011 reached 1,139 reports – or 12.5 reports per day. This has been about the same rate for the last 12 months. Compared to the 12 months before that (going back to summer 2009), total crime has reduced from a quarterly average of 1,270 – or 14 crimes per day. The long-term trend of total crime is downwards, and the first quarter of 2011 recorded the lowest total crime since March 2000.

CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON

Crimes against the person totalled 196 and has remained under the 200 mark for one year. The 12 month quarterly average is 188; the previous 12 month average was 230. The long-term trend for crimes against the person is downwards, and the first quarter of 2011 recorded the lowest level since March 2006.

CRIMES AGAINST THE COMMUNITY

Crimes against the community totalled 227 in the second quarter. The first quarter total of 188 was the lowest since December 2008. The quarterly average of 209 represents a reduction from the previous 12 month average of 237. The long-term trend is still too unstable to say whether this category is going up or down, although firearms offences decreased to 8 during the second quarter: the lowest since the summer of 2009.

CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY

Crimes against property during this quarter rose back up to 716 after a first quarter total of 625 – which happened to be the second lowest number in a decade. The increase is attributed to an additional 63 residential burglaries in the last 3 months. The long-term trend for this category is still downwards, with the 12 month quarterly average falling from 784 to 717.

TRAFFIC COLLISIONS

2 road deaths were recorded in the second quarter and 1 death was recorded in the first quarter. 560 collisions occurred during the second quarter at a rate of nearly 6 per day. The recent quarterly average of 528 is down from the previous average of 588.

TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT

11,026 traffic tickets were issued over the last three months: we have averaged about 3,500 tickets per month for the last year.

CALLS FOR SERVICE

Calls for service have continually risen over the last two years and they are now at their highest point on record: 11,472. On average the police process a daily rate of 115 calls for service.

KEY MESSAGES

• Police enforcement activity is significantly high.
• Overall, crime is on a downwards trend.
• Gun crime is still an obvious concern, despite a lower rate of incidents.
• Community support is high.
• Partnership policing is effective.

For the full 2nd Quarter 2011 Crime Statistics document please click here.