Guyana more successful than multiple C’bean countries in crimefighting – Benn

…says crime down 12%, record drug seizures, $108.7B to modernise security forces

The Government’s efforts to beef up the security sector was highlighted during Day-two of the budget debates on Monday, by Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn, who also presented statistics to show the effects these investments have had.
During his 2025 budget debate presentation on Monday, Minister Benn noted that there has been a 12 per cent reduction in serious crime. Benn also revealed that the clear-up rate of serious cases also increasing. Additionally, over 1,500 domestic violence cases were reported last year, with 167 convictions in 2024.
There were meanwhile 1,463 narcotic seizures resulting in 77 arrests and convictions. Another statistic pointed out by the Minister is that over 178 firearms were seized last year. The Minister also said that, Guyana has done a better job at managing its murder rate than several of its Caribbean peers.
“The question of development and security. We have, in terms of a specific issue, amongst the highest murder rates in the region. And this rate is tied to the question of trans-national organised crime. There is no more a challenge in relation to choke and rob, but the nature of crime has changed.”
“There are questions of the poverty which still exists and which we’re working hard to overcome. There are issues which we need to pay attention to, when we talk about crime, with some specificity, we have a murder rate of 22 per 100,000. There are other countries where the murder rate is much higher. Jamaica, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, which have significantly higher murder rates.”
Acknowledging the dangers posed by transnational crime, Benn noted that the Government has recorded notable successes in this area. For instance, he noted that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) seized three submersible vessels that were going to be used to smuggle drugs.
“We are aware and if we refer to the regional symposium on crime and violence as a public health issue, which was held from November 21 to 23, in Guyana, there was the discussion at the level of CARICOM heads, on how to work together on the question of trans-national organised crime.”
“I hasten to say the type of crime is not related to Guyana in and of itself, but it comes about as a function of drug trade, because of the arms trafficking which relates to the matter, it has to do with money laundering and trafficking in persons. And it behooves us, to find together the type of consultations and attitudes, and in some cases to stop the whispering in relation to crime,” Benn added.
Benn also acknowledged the security concerns of Venezuela’s border ambitions. According to him, however, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has implemented border surveillance not only at the level of the army and police, but also community police. As a matter of fact, this is currently being beefed up by the Government, in a number of areas.
While the preceding speaker, his predecessor Kemraj Ramjattan, had used some of his presentation to urge the Government to buy more equipment, Benn informed the House that massive investments have, as a matter of fact, been made in upgrading the security sector’s equipment, in an effort to support their crime fighting work.
In his national budget presentation, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh had outlined the Government’s significant plans for enhancing national security in 2025, with $108.7 billion allocated to strengthen public safety and security in 2025.
This includes the funding for the police, prison service, fire service, and various infrastructure and technology upgrades aimed at making Guyana a safer place for all its citizens. The Government has allocated substantial funds aimed at modernising the GPF, improving the prison system, and upgrading the Guyana Fire Service (GFS).
Regarding the GPF, Dr Singh announced an allocation of $34.4 billion in 2025 to continue strengthening the capacity of law enforcement across the country. A key focus will be improving infrastructure and expanding the police’s ability to respond to crime more effectively.