KINGSTON – Jamaica is reporting a 7.8 per cent decline in murders in 2023 as compared with the previous year with figures showing that there were 1 393 murders last year.
The figure is 118 fewer, when compared to the 1 511 people killed in 2022.
According to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the parish of St James recorded the most killings as it had been the case in 2022 with 187 murders recorded as compared with 200 the previous year.
The other areas recording significant killings were St Andrew South with 123 as against 133 the previous year, St Catherine North with 120 murders as against 147 the previous year, Westmoreland with 117 killings last year as compared with 141 in 2022.
But while these parishes recorded declines in murders, Clarendon recorded a 10.6 per cent increase with 104 murders last year as against 94 the previous year, western Kingston also recorded a 10.5 per cent increase from 76 to 84 murders.
The figures released by the JCF show that shootings and reports of wounding declined across all police divisions last year. There were 1 101 shootings as compared with 1, 171 the previous year.
There was a 17.5 per cent reduction in rapes as well, with the JCF reporting a total of 780 robberies, representing a 15.3 per cent drop from the 921 committed in 2022. (CMC)