SOURCE: CARIBBEAN LOOP NEWS – The Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda reported a decrease in crime rates for the year so far across all major categories during a press conference held on Wednesday.

Acting Police Commissioner Everton Jeffers presented the latest statistics, revealing a noteworthy reduction in reported criminal activity compared to the same period last year.

“At this stage [last year], we have 1,232 cases reported to the police of crime. This year so far, same comparison, 996. So, we see a decline in all areas,” Commissioner Jeffers disclosed.

The statistics reveal significant decreases in specific crime categories. Robberies, which include both aggravated robberies involving violence and ordinary robberies, have dropped from 57 cases last year to 47 this year.

Breaking and entering offenses, including house breaking and building breaking and larceny, have decreased from 286 incidents to 220.

Commissioner Jeffers attributed these positive results to strategic changes in policing methods implemented by his leadership team.

“My team got together and we came up with some strategies. And we basically used the freeze, unfreeze, refreeze technique,” Jeffers explained. “And so we’re seeing the result of the patrols being more strategic than before.”

The “freeze, unfreeze, refreeze” approach refers to a change management strategy that involves analysing current practices, introducing new methods, and then reinforcing these improved approaches until they become standard procedure.