JCF Statistics Show Steady Increase of Murders While Rapes Decrease
The Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) most recent crime data has confirmed that there has been a four percent annual increase in homicides in Jamaica.
Over the past 20 years, Jamaica has only recorded fewer than 1000 murders once, back in 2003. With four months to go, 2022 is set to surpass that number, with the year’s current murder rate just 18 homicides away from reaching 2003’s overall total.
Reports from the Jamaica Star state that with 132, 94, and 89 murders recorded respectively, St. James, St. Catherine North, and Westmoreland are the top three most violent police divisions since January. The data again declared Portland the country’s safest parish, with only eight murders recorded. In June, amid an increase in crime across the island, the commanding officer for the Portland police division, Superintendent Kenneth Chin, attributed the lower crime rate to the excellent relationship between the police and the residents of the parish. The parish’s major crimes, including rape, murder, burglary, and shooting, had an exemplary 100 percent clear-up rate at that time.
The parishes of Trelawny, Hanover, and St. Elizabeth have also recorded a relatively low number of murders since the beginning of the year, with a total of 26 murders per parish.
According to statistics, the number of shootings has declined by 4.9 percent, with the St. Andrew South division recording the highest number, 89, followed by Westmoreland with a total of 84.
Compared with 2021, the period shows a decline of 58 cases in the number of recorded rapes. Of the 256 rapes recorded, the majority, 32, was from St. Andrew North and the least in St. Mary and Kingston Central, with three incidents each.
Break-ins and robberies have increased by 5.2 and 13%, respectively. A total of 625 break-ins were reported, the least coming from the police divisions in Kingston. A total of 582 robberies were recorded, with seven out of 19 police divisions reporting a decline. Manchester, recording the highest numbers of robberies and break-ins, had 75 and 114 respectively.
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