Crime
Jamaica Reports Spike in Murders with 44 Recorded in Bloodiest Week; JCF Notes Overall Year-on-Year Decline
Jamaica records highest weekly murder rate of the year with 44 murders. Despite overall increase, year-on-year murder decline drops to 18%. Some police divisions show decline in crime rates.
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Originally published by nationnews.com (opens in new tab)
KINGSTON – Jamaica has recorded its bloodiest seven days of the year last week, when 44 murders were recorded, according to figures released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
It said that as of November 23, the country’s murder toll stood at 1 039, up from the 995 murders that had been recorded as at November 16.
But despite the increase, the JCF said that the year-on-year murder decline has dipped two percentage points to 18 per cent.
According to the JCF figures, two of the 19 police divisions have recorded over 100 murders so far this year with St James, 117, and St Andrew South, 107.
The figures show that Westmoreland, 94; St Catherine North, 86; and St Catherine South, 74, round out the top five murderous police divisions.
The JCF said that five of the 19 police divisions have recorded a decline in murders over last year and that shootings, injured persons, rape, robbery and break-ins are down compared with the corresponding period of last year. (CMC)
