6 Bermuda Crime Statistics in 2023

Like anywhere else on the planet, Bermuda is not exempt from crime. If you want to stay in the know about the prevalence of different types of crime, this post will outline six Bermuda crime statistics.

1. Gang violence is rising

In 2017, the government launched the Gang Violence Reduction Team to tackle rising gang crime. Most gun crime was related to gang activity and violent crime was rare, unless related to violence between gang members.

By 2022, the minister of national security addressed the House of Assembly stating, “Gangs and violence are a scourge on our community.”

The Bermuda Police Service estimated that there were at least 9 identified gangs operating in Bermuda, with children as young as 8 being recruited as members. The types of crimes that were almost exclusive to gangs included:

• Shootings and firearms incidents – In 2020, 2 people were shot and killed and 10 people shot and injured. There were 52 incidents of firearms being used, 25 confirmed, 10 recovered firearms and 17 unconfirmed incidents. As shootings in Bermuda are among the country’s predominantly male gangs, there are no recorded gun deaths of females.
• Murders – In the years between 2009 and 2017, there were 48 recorded murders in Bermuda. In a country of 66,000 people, this is a pretty high statistic but explainable when you realise the amount of gang activity present.

2. Crimes against property are falling

There were 1,741 offences recorded for Crimes Against Property in 2020. This may seem a large number, but it is actually a decrease of 2,068 offences from the year before. The covid pandemic was seen to be a huge factor in the drop in property thefts due to the circumstances of lockdown.

3. 26-35 year olds are the most arrested age group

In 2020, there were 1,749 males and 389 females arrested across the country. The largest group of people arrested was those between 26-35 years old. It’s also worth noting that the youngest person arrested was 12 and the oldest was 86.

4. 900+ anti-social crimes per year

In 2020, there were a reported 917 crimes against the community. This covers everything from personal harassment to vandalism and littering, as outlined in our blog post on the three types of anti-social behaviour.

5. Sexual assault numbers may be higher

Crimes of a sexual nature, ranging from flashing to rape, varied between 26-58 a year. The Commissioner of Police Stephen Corbishley, raised the issue that the real number is a lot higher but isn’t being reported due to the nature of the crime. For example, if the victim is in an abusive and fearful relationship.

6. Bermuda has some of the lowest crime rates in the world

The number of crimes in Bermuda in 2019 was recorded as the lowest this century. In 2019, the country also had the lowest murder rate in the world and Bermuda Crime Statistics for 2019 were zero, a 100% decline from 2017.

Do your bit to improve Bermuda crime statistics

While crime might be low in Bermuda compared to other countries, the incidents taking place still need to be stopped. Crime Stoppers Bermuda allows you to give information anonymously and contribute to crime prevention in your area.

If you would like to contact Crime Stoppers Bermuda, you can call us on our confidential number 800- 8477 or fill in our online form.