The police have cleared up 81 per cent of the 72 murders reported between January 1 - September 30, 1999. For the same period in 2000, 91 per cent of the 59 murders reported have been solved, according to police statistics published in the Symonds Group Report for the British Home Office.

In the two years, armed robberies were 604 and 584 respectively; rape 96 and 90 respectively; robbery with aggravation 123 and 94 respectively; and robbery with violence 96 and 150 respectively.

For abduction, incest, buggery, larceny of cattle, larceny of firearm, possession of firearm/ammunition; carnal knowledge and assault categorised as others in the table, the numbers are 212 and 214 respectively.

The total number of crimes committed for the two years were 6,097 and 6,189.

According to the same report, arrests were made in 58% of the cases reported in 1999 and in 2000, arrests were made in 53% of the cases.

In 1999, victims died at the hands of an acquaintance in 35 cases; at the hands of a family member in 18 cases; at the hands of a stranger in six cases; and the cases where it could not be determined whether the victims knew their assailant numbered 13.

For the same period in 2000, those who died at the hands of an acquaintance were 28; at the hands of a family member, 15; at the hands of a stranger, ten; and in six cases it could not be determined whether the victims knew their assailants.

The report said too that the police had been able to solve all of the seven cases of reported manslaughter in 1999 and the 16 reported up to September 30, 2000. The seven victims in 1999 met their deaths at the hands of persons known to them, but of the 16 victims in 2000, nine knew their attackers; six died at the hands of family members; and one died at the hands of a stranger.

In 1999, six of the cases of manslaughter were as a result of various disputes and one as a result of an accident. In 2000, six were as a result of domestic misunderstandings; eight were due to various disputes; and two were accidents.

The report also said that the reported cases of fatal shootings involving the police between January and September 1999 were five and for the same period the following year the number was ten. All of the 15 fatally shot by the police were males.

According to the report, in 25 per cent of the murders reported in 1999, death was caused by shooting; in 29 per cent of the cases, death was caused by the victim being stabbed; and in 39 per cent of the cases the victims died as a result of being beaten.

The six unsolved murders in 2000 up to the period of reporting were those of Ervin Millington and Gordon Yarde in January 2000; Glen Hope and Nandalall Kirpaul in July; and Aubrey Yansen and Rabindra Ramnidh in September.