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Highlights
- Violent Crimes decreased by -5.4%, or 703 in 2020 to 665 in 2021
- Burglaries decreased by -3.9%, or 1,324 in 2020 to 1,272 in 2021
- Motor Vehicle Thefts decreased by -9.3%, or 364 in 2020 to 330 in 2021
- Personal Arrests Increased by 7.15%, or 6,905 in 2020 to 7,399 in 2021
“The state of public safety is growing stronger and this report is evidence of that,” said Governor Leon Guerrero. “In response to the methamphetamine epidemic, we tasked law enforcement with increasing drug-related investigations and seizures, and those efforts translated into the rate of drug-related arrests we see today. Based on the report, police not only targeted high priority crimes with success – they’ve delivered at a standard that dropped a record rate of crimes. We still have so much work to do, and I’m confident that with more investments towards public safety, we’ll see more progress in the years to come.”
“This report is a credit not only to Guam’s policemen and women, but also to the island community which – in recent years – has increased public awareness of crimes and utilized Neighborhood Watch groups and social media to aid law enforcement,” said Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio. “We read the same headlines and the same viral posts online, but we’re also keenly aware that our community plays a key role in deploying safety personnel. In addition to the investments made under our administration, we trust our people to help strengthen public safety.”
“It’s important to recognize how social media and mass media affects the perception of crime and feeds into perceived fears,” said GPD Chief Stephen Ignacio. “Before smartphones and news alerts, there would be a string of crimes in one village, but by the end of the day only the village people hear about it. Today, if there is a single high profile crime, a large part of the island learns about it through Whatsapp within the hour. The picture of today’s crimes has been amplified through modern media, but the rate of arrests has increased, as well. It’s just not as amplified.”
For more information and to view the complete report, visit www.gpd.gov.
