May 26, 2021
By Mohamed M. Sesay
During the official launch of the Sierra Leone Police General Annual Crime Statistics Report for the year 2020, the Director of Corporate Affairs attached at the Sierra Leone Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Memunatu Conteh Jalloh has yesterday presented to a galaxy of journalists the total of 63, 411 crime cases recorded nationwide.
Dilating further, AIG Memunatu Jalloh also intimated that the crime distribution across the regions in percentage shows that 3,884 which represents 6.12% cases were recorded in the Eastern Region; 7, 349 representing 11.59% cases were recorded in the Southern Region; 9, 010 representing 14./21% cases were recorded in the Northern Region and 43,168 representing 68.08 crime cases were recorded in the Western Area in a descending order.
AIG Jalloh also disclosed that the regional analysis of the crime for the year 2020 was prepared in order to identify areas that were prone to criminal activities. She added that the report indicates that the crime rate as of 2019 for the Western Area was 2.53%; the Sourthern Region 0.45%; Northern Region 0.31% meaning more cases were reported on those regions while less cases were reported in the Eastern Region with a statistics of 0.21%.
“This is an indication that shows a fluctuation in the trend of crime rate for 2019 and 2020. In 2019, the crime rate was 0.96% but in 2020, the crime rate decreased to 0.78%. the possible explanations for this decrease are as a result of the spread of the coronavirus in Sierra Leone; Motor Traffic Regulations offences not available at the time of producing this report and there was decrease of 0.18% in crime rate in 2020 as compared to 2019 with o.78%”, she disclosed.
AIG Jalloh continued that out of the 63,411 cases recorded in 2020, she said the Offences Against the person was the highest category with 19.048 cases; followed by Offences Against Property with 15,926 cases; Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) offences with 12,830 cases, Economic Offences with 7,786 cases; Road Traffic Management and Safety Offences with 4,337 cases; Mischief and Public Order Offences with 2,407 cases and the miscellaneous offences with 1,077 cases recorded respectively.
She further disclosed that in 2020, the Family Support Unity recorded 12,830 cases as compared to 12,314 cases in 2019. Out of the 2020 cases reported, she lamented that there were 9,600 Domestic Violence cases, Sexual Penetration with 3,091 cases and Rape with 130 cases.
AIG Jalloh observed that the figures for 2019 showed the following; Domestic Violence was at 8,917 cases, Sexual penetration was at 3,253 cases and Rape145 cases in 2019.