KINGSTON – Jamaica has recorded 213 murders for the period January to May 23, this year as compared with 275 for the same period last year, according to figures released recently by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), a decline of 22.5 per cent.
It said that while St. James, St. Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon and St. Catherine South recorded increases ranging from two to 75 per cent in killings, other parishes in the country showed downward slides in murders ranging from a high of minus 81 per cent to 21.1 per cent.
The police figure show that shootings also declined from 295 last year to 199, a decline of 32.5 per cent and that rape cases decreased by 17.2 per cent to register 125 as against 151 last year.
The police said that there was a 22 per cent drop in robbery cases, with this year’s figure being 220 as compared with282 last year.
Last year, Jamaica recorded 673 murders, nearly 40 per cent decline from the previous year and the lowest annual homicide total in the country in 31 years
Government and police officials attributed this historic reduction to expanded policing strategies, long-term security reforms, and sustained anti-gang operations by the JCF. (CMC)
