MARIGOT--Noting the arrests of five burglary suspects last week, 2015 has seen a 33 per cent increase in burglaries to date compared to 2014, Préfète Anne Laubies revealed on Friday at a press conference disclosing delinquency figures.

 

She said the spike in burglaries amounted to one of two “black marks” highlighting delinquency figures, described otherwise as a year comparable to 2014.

 

“2014 was a good year in terms of prevention of delinquency, the best for ten years,” Laubies added.

 

Delinquency in general increased slightly at two percent. It included a 0.86 increase in thefts, fraud and defacing public property among other things, whereas petty crimes directly affecting persons showed a decrease.

There was a “significant” decrease in theft of cars and two-wheeled vehicles, although figures were not disclosed. Thefts with violence showed an increase of 5.82 per cent.

 

Fourteen attempted homicides, the other black mark, were recorded in 2015 and 95 armed robberies compared to 105 in 2014 in the same period. Armed robbery incidents were described as currently “stabilised.”

Police aux Frontières (PAF) disclosed the number of measures against employers for hiring workers without valid papers increased by 31 per cent.

 

Préfète Laubies noted the success rate for solving delinquency is currently better than the national average.

 

“The objective is for law enforcement to be visibly present on the ground as much as possible. Reducing armed robberies is one of the main priorities of the Gendarmerie,” she stated. “We also hope more emphasis on neighbourhood watches will help reduce the burglaries. We are working on this through a convention with the Collectivité. The other initiative to be implemented with the Chamber of Commerce ‘Vigi (vigilant) Commerce’ to involve businesses more in helping to fight delinquency.”

She highlighted the importance for the Gendarmerie to be positioned close to troubled areas, as is the case now in Baie Nettle, and to respond rapidly to incidents.

 

Asked if there will be another weapons amnesty campaign, the Préfète said: “Why not? But it should be a joint campaign with the Dutch-side. Last time it was more successful on the Dutch-side than it was on the French-side. But we need to discuss it with our colleagues on the other side.”

On the recently ratified Police Cooperation Treaty she said this is currently awaiting publication in the Official Journal of the French Republic before it can be operational from the French point of view.

 

“In the meantime we need to have working meetings with our Dutch-side colleagues to discuss the way of working with regard to the text in the treaty,” she added.

 

The Daily Herald