By Stephen V. Lansana
Director of Crime Services, Commissioner of Police (CP) Joseph Ibrahim Lahai on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 ,said that from the analysis of the 2023 Crime Report, the Western Area which constitute Freetown East and Freetown West combined, recorded 18,988 cases, representing 62% of the total volume of rimes documented in that year..
Director Lahai made this disclosure during the launching of the National Crime Statistics Report 2023, at the Conference Hall of Police Headquarters, George Street in Freetown.
He said that in 2023, a total of 30,491 criminal and road crash cases were reported and investigated in all the six (6) Police Command Regions in Sierra Leone with an overall crime rate of 0.35%.
“Comparatively, there was a slight reduction of 0.4% in the rate of crime in 2023,” he said, adding that for the past years (2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023) the country had recorded considerable reduction in the rate of crime which ranked the country third in Africa as the most peaceful country; and first in West Africa.
REGIONAL CRIME RATE
Director Lahai said that the regional crime rate was done to identify regions with the highest crime rate in Sierra Leone.
“From the analysis, Western Area (Freetown East and Freetown West) combined recorded 18,988 cases – representing 62%; Northern Region (North East and North West) combined logged 5,180 cases which represent 17.0%; Southern Region recorded 3,275 cases with a percentage of 11.0% and Eastern Region recorded 3,048 cases representing 10.0%,” he said. “This analysis clearly indicates that Western Area is always prone to criminal activities than any other region in Sierra Leone; followed by the Northern Region, Southern Region and Eastern Region respectively.”
In the Area of Traffic Management, he said a total of 3,953 Traffic Accident Cases were reported countrywide when compared to 4,124 cases in 2022.
Comparatively, he disclosed that the rate of accident cases drastically declined by 171 cases in 2023.
“The Road Traffic Management Report indicates that, 3,830 people were involved in accidents in 2023. Out of these figures, 490 people were fatally injured (male 390 and Female 100), 1341 Seriously Injured (Male 822 and Female 519) and 2,099 people Slightly Injured (Male 1,326 and Female 771),” he said, pointing out that the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) investigated a total of 269 cases; of which 106 cases were charged to Court, 28 cases sent to DPP, and 136 cases under investigation.
Director Lahai said that in 2023, 70 cases were recorded as assault on police; “ these cases were investigated and charged to court.”
He stated that the Anti-Land Grabbing Unit in the Sierra Leone Police investigated 334 land cases, out of this figure, 39 cases were charged to court, 101 cases were sent to Ministry of Lands for verification of documents, 39 cases settled, 66 cases kept in view and 89 cases still under investigations.
“Holistically, there were 30,491 reported cases and out of these figures, 4,161 cases (13.56%) were received and sent to Magistrate courts by the Legal and Justice Support Department of the SLP,” he said.
Explaining the factors responsible for the reduction of crime in 2023, he said that it was a result of improved and sustained community engagement in the fight against crime; improved logistical support in the form of patrol vehicles; enhanced operational coordination at strategic, tactical and operational levels; enhanced inter-institutional relationship between the security and justice sector agencies; and mounting of checkpoints at strategic points.