Antigua and Barbuda recorded a marked reduction in murders and other serious crime last year and claims to be one of the safest places in the Caribbean.
With just three murders recorded in 2019, Acting Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney said this is a 75 percent decrease from 2018.
“We have recorded the lowest number of murders in the country for almost 20 years. The years that we had less than five murders were in 2000 and 2001, when we had four in both years,” he said.
Rodney said gun related and violent crimes decreased by 42 percent. This he said, can be attributed to ongoing anti-crime exercises which include efforts to remove illegal firearms off the streets.
He did note however, a marked increase in the overall number of crimes reported - 2,836 last year, 634 more than 2018.
He said petty theft, car break-ins, home invasions and malicious damage account for more than half of the crimes reported. Most crimes were committed in Antigua’s capital, St John’s.
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