KINGSTON, Jamaica — The year 2015 has recorded the highest murder toll in the last five years, with western parishes accounting for a high number of homicides, according to police statistics.

Western parishes have become known as the home of lottery scammers

With 1,192 murders recorded as at December 26, 2015 leads the years 2011-2014 although it also boasts the highest clear-up rate at 616.

Clear-up rate between 2011 and 2014 averaged about 400 over the previous four years.

The figures shouldn’t bode well for Dr Carl Williams who is a year into his tenure as commissioner of police and Security Minister Peter Bunting, who presided over a steady increase in murders since taking over the portfolio in 2011, with the exception of 2014 when the murder toll topped out at 997.

Both men have been regular features at homicide scenes, promising to rein in murders, but to no effect, as the statistics have shown.

The year 2013 concluded with 1,190 murders, 2012 ended with 1,085 and 2011 murder figures topped out at 1,117.

Like last year, St James recorded the most murders across the island with 211. The other parishes known for lottery scamming activities with high murder tolls are Westmoreland with 106 and Hanover with 59.

Bunting had said previously that lotto scamming had been driving murders in western parishes.

St Catherine — home of the island’s two major gangs Klansman and One Order — recorded 203 murders;  Kingston recorded 132; and at St Andrew recorded 110.

Paul Henry