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Nat'l Security Ministry Want To Keep Murder Rate Under Control For Holidays
posted (December 24, 2014)

Last night we told you that, so far for 2014, the number of murders has increased by 22% - going up from 99 total last year, to 121 as of Monday of this week. That's a sharp increase, but also 24 less than the all time high, which was realised in 2012.

That puts Belize's murder rate at 33.6 – which is expected to place us in the global top ten, again.

But it's still not final – the long holiday could increase the number of homicides - we surely hope not, but with so much alcohol being consumed it's a distinct possibility.

Today in Belmopan, CEO in the ministry of national security Lovell discussed the murder rate so far, and their best hopes for it:…

Rt. Col George Lovell - CEO, Ministry of National Security

"The figures that we currently see, while it's at a 121 or 122 is one of the lower figures in the last 5 years. It is the 2nd lowest to last year's figure and when we did our analysis, my analysis showed me that when you do projections because we were looking at this how it will be up to 2020. Our plans at the ministry of national security is to bring the homicide rate per capita to about 8 per 100 thousand."

Jules Vasquez

"It's at 33."

Rt. Col George Lovell

"Yes we want to bring it to about 8 per 100 thousand by 2020 and we believe we can do so and we have a plan to do so; But what that graph shows us is that in doing so, 2014 would have seen a rise, we didn't expect the rise to be that high. Then there would have been a gradual dip going down to 2020 with the plans that we have. I can tell you that while we are having a good handle of what is happening with the gangs and their homicides, we do note out in the districts and else where they have been a spike in type of crime which is very difficult to police."

Jules Vasquez

"Sir would you have a district by district breakdown probably over the statistics but are you able to say on a district by district basis, which district had a decrease and which had an increase? I'm certain Belize district had a very sharp decrease."

Rt. Col George Lovell

"Belize district had a sharp decrease but my concern is the Cayo district which seems to be the next highest in terms of homicide rates is worrying."

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