Bogota mayor Gustavo Petro said Tuesday that homicides in Colombia’s capital dropped 22% in February and have reached a 10-year low.
The government figures showed a 22% reduction in murders compared to the same period in 2011.
In February 2012 there were 95 cases of homicide in Bogota (85 men, 10 women), 27 lower than the 122 in February 2011. This was reportedly the lowest rate for February in the last ten years.
The release of the statistics came after the mayor passed a bill in January banning the possession of firearms in the capital. Petro commented, “The statistics show that the specific decree around the issue of firearms is generating positive effects in relation to homicide in the public space in the city.”
Though the mayor credited the new law as a major factor in the reduction in violent deaths in the city, the number of homicides by knife crime actually saw a far greater drop than those by firearms. The number of people killed by knives fell by 41%, compared to a 17% decrease in homicides by firearms.
The mayor said it was not just homicides that had fallen. Adding up the numbers for 17 different crimes, the government found that there was a 32% reduction across the board. Injuries reportedly fell by 85%.
