Homicides down; other crimes on the rise in Belize
2022 was not the best year for Belize in terms of crime incidence. Despite reporting 12 fewer homicides than in 2021, most major crimes experienced a general increase when compared to the previous year. In addition, crimes that affect women and girls, such as sexual violence and unlawful sexual intercourse, increased noticeably. Reported instances of rape increased 100%, while unlawful sexual intercourse experienced a 30.4% rise.
1. Homicide continues downward
Both the total number of murders and the murder rate per 100,000 population continue on a downward trend in this Caribbean nation. Official records for 2022 show 113 murder victims (9 women). This is a 9.6% reduction as compared to the previous year.
Excluding 2020 given the exceptional nature of the COVID pandemic, the homicide rate in Belize has exhibited a downward trend over the last decade. The rate reached 25.6 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022. This is a positive development, but still distant from the regional average of 18.3 homicides per 100,000 population.
2. Major crimes rise 17.2%
In 2022, a total of 1,035 major crimes were registered in Belize. This is 152 more crimes than during the same period the year before. There was an increase in all crime categories except murder, which underwent a 9.6% reduction.
3. Young people are the primary victims of murder
Young people were the primary victims of homicide according to data from 2022. Two in five victims of murder were between 18 and 29 years of age. People between the ages of 30 and 49 exhibit a similar proportion.
Moreover, firearms continue to be the main weapon contributing to murder in the Caribbean country. In 2022, eight in ten murders (80.5%) were committed with a firearm. However, this figure is different in the case of women: Six in ten women were murdered with a firearm, three in ten with a sharp weapon, and one out of every ten with another weapon (hands).
Since 2014, UNDP InfoSegura Regional Project, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have been implementing the first project In Central America and the Dominican Republic that works to strengthen government capacities to formulate evidence-based, people-centered public policies on citizen security. The innovative model being deployed by UNDP InfoSegura is a qualitative leap in the way security issues and the production of information are addressed, informing citizen security policies with a multisectoral approach and a focus on gender.
Source: Prepared by UNDP InfoSegura with official crime data from the Belize Police Department (BPD), provided by the Belize Crime Observatory (BCO). This report was prepared with data available on 20 January 2023.
Photo: Tim Mossholder. Unsplash
