Jamaica Sees 30% Decrease in Murders: National Security Minister Chang Optimistic for Further Decline

KINGSTON – Jamaica has recorded a 30 per cent decrease in murders since the start of the year, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang has said.

Chang, addressing the Sandals Corporate University Leadership Training Initiative, said that he remains optimistic that the downward trend would continue and that Jamaica could achieve its target of recording fewer than 1 000 murders by the end of the year.

“I look at those statistics regularly and I can say today, nationally, we are 30.7 per cent behind. It’s the first time we are going to hit 30 per cent. If we maintain that we’ll go below the target 1 000,” he told the ceremony on Thursday.

Figures released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) show that for the period January 1 to March 8 this year, the country had recorded a total of 145 murders as compared with 196 for the same period last year.

The JCF said that shootings had also declined during the period from 188 last year to 147, a 21.8 per cent decline, and that other serious crimes, such as rape, had also registered a decline.

In his address to the conference, the National Security Minister, lauded the Area One Police Division for achieving the largest percentage decline in the number of murders recorded so far since the start of this year.

Area One consists of Trelawny, St James, Hanover, and Westmoreland and there are 19 police divisions spread across the country.

According to the JCF figures, Trelawny had recorded two murders as compared with six last year, St. James had 11 murders down from 29, Hanover, three murders as against seven and Westmoreland had registered ten murders so far this year as against 12 last year.

“They have reduced the rate of homicides this year by the largest amount in the last 12 months and the last eight months in particular,” Chang said, adding that since August last year, there has been a drastic reduction in murders, and if the current trend continues, the four divisions in Area One could go as low as 100 murders at the end of this year.

Commander of Area One Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Glenford Miller agreed saying “if you look at last year, when we look at statistics, St James [saw] a record reduction in murders last year”.

Miller said that the momentum spilled over into this year.

“I must hasten to say Area One is seeing the highest reduction in any area in the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Since the start of this year, every division in Area One is seeing a reduction in murders,” he added.