Kingston – Jamaica has recorded 405 murders so far this year, the same figure for the corresponding period last year, according to figures released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
According to the JCF figures, for the period up until April 9, the island had recorded the same number of murders as had been registered in April 2021.
The JCF reported that the St Mary Police division recorded the most increase in murders with 15, up from the solitary case last year.
Other divisions with an increase in murders include Trelawny with 13 killings compared to three in 2021, Westmoreland with 42 murders compared to 18 last year and Portland recording a 100 per cent increase with four murders this year.
The JCF recorded 1 463 killings in 2021, giving the country a homicide rate that reached nearly 50 per 100,000 people
The JCF said also that shootings across the 19 police divisions are down 13.3 per cent with 312 cases compared to 360 in 2021 for the period under review. The figure also show a decline in rape and robberies. (CMC)