2017: Murders up 10.9% – Police

The Ghana Police Service has disclosed that the number of murder cases recorded in 2017 across the country increased by 10.9% in 2017.

A report released by the law enforcement agency revealed that 2017 recorded 609 murder cases while 2016 witnessed 549.

Other major offences such as robbery, rape and defilement also increased in 2017, but possession, use and distribution of narcotics, reduced by 5.4%.

All the commonly committed offences registered, however, decreased in 2017 as compared to 2016 with the exception of stealing and causing harm, which showed increases of 122 and 354 cases representing 0.2% and 11.3%, respectively.

As usual, assault emerged as the highly committed criminal offence in the country.

Meanwhile, a total of 201,936 complaints were received by the police throughout the country in the year 2017 as against 202,276 the previous year.

“This represents a decrease of three hundred and forty (340) cases, which translates into -0.2%,” the law enforcement agency stated.

Out of this total, 191,770 representing 95.0% were registered as true cases whilst the remaining 10,166 cases representing 5.0% were refused. The cases, which were refused, were regarded as trivial, civil in nature or false, and, so, did not warrant police action.

Out of the true cases, 24,350 cases were sent to court for prosecution.

At the court, 7,753 cases, representing 31.8%, gained conviction whilst 707, representing 2.9%, were acquitted.

At the close of the year 2017, 15,890 cases representing 65.3% of the total number of cases sent to court for prosecution, were awaiting trial.

A total of 26,173 cases were closed as undetected whilst 141,247 cases representing 73.7% of the total number of true cases, were under investigation at the close of the year 2017.

Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com