Police released detailed crime statistics yesterday.

Overall arrests rose by 40 percent. Firearm offences increased by 82 percent from 19 in 2008 to 42 last year.

Included in the statistics was a breakdown of robberies and burglaries by parish.

Robberies are defined as crimes against persons; burglaries as crimes against property.

Pembroke saw 53 burglaries 19 percent of all such incidents on the Island while 42 burglaries reported in Warwick represented 15 percent of the Island's total. St. George's, whose town carries the status of World Heritage Site, had 38 burglaries.

There were 16 robberies in Smith's six percent of the Island's total and 17 in Sandys.

Nine robberies were reported in the City of Hamilton. Six took place in Pembroke and St. George's and Sandys each reported five. There were no robberies last year in Smith's, Devonshire and Paget.

Below is a comparison of the incidence of various offences in 2008 and 2009:

l Overall crime was down 3.9 percent.

l Murders were up 20 percent five in 2008 and six in 2009.

l Serious assaults were up 12 percent, to 110 incidents.

l Assaults which fell into the category of "other" were up 18 percent, to 592 incidents.

l Sexual assaults decreased 39 percent to 29 incidents.

l Offences against children rose 28 percent to 31 incidents.

l Firearms offences went up 82 percent to 42 incidents.

l "Other" weapon offences rose 14 percent, to 90.

l Anti-social behaviour offences were up 15 percent.

l Drug importation detection increased 30 percent, with 73 persons nabbed.

l Arrests for drug possession rose 39 percent, with 438 detections.

l Residential burglary increased by one percent.

l Non-residential burglary fell by 39 percent.

lMotor vehicle theft increased by 38 percent.