OCHO RIOS, St Ann – The St Ann police are reporting a 60 per cent decline in major crimes in the parish, a move they attribute to the support received through increased community policing and intelligence-

led operations.

According to Superintendent of police for the St Ann Division, Dudley Scott, last year there were 57 reported cases of major crimes including murder, shooting, rape, carnal abuse, robbery, break-ins and larceny compared to 23 reported cases for the same time this year.

“Murder is down by 25 per cent, robbery by 62 per cent, break-ins by 79 per cent and larceny by 100 per cent up to the 18th of February,” Scott told

the Observer.

The division head meanwhile commended the citizens for the tremendous support they have given, as well as his staff, whom he said worked tirelessly at intelligence-

led operations.

“The visibility and the reassuring method of the police within the communities and on the main thoroughfares as well as the increased community policing activities have all contributed to the decline,” he said. But while major crimes are down, Scott said domestic violence had increased, noting that 63 per cent of the murders in the garden parish were as a result of disputes between family members, friends or co-workers. As such, he said there is a clear need for more community training in anger management and conflict resolution in the parish.

“We are saying that if most, if not all, of those involved had shown some respect for life and had tried to settle their disagreement using civil means such as dialogue and counselling, we would not have had these murders,” Scott argued. And while the police continue to utilise their conflict resolution skills to enlighten and urge citizens to have respect for each other and to refrain from using violence as a means to settle their disputes, Scott said the police cannot do it alone.

“I personally want to appeal to people like teachers, justice of the peace and pastors to assist us in dealing with these domestic disputes so that they don’t escalate to murders,” he said. It is with this aim in mind that the police have started a mediation programme in the schools, helping students to resolve their conflicts within the institutions and not allowing it to become violent.

“We realise the level of conflicts taking place in the schools and so we try as far as possible to get students involved in solving their own conflicts instead of taking it outside,” he said.

He also expressed concerns about the increase in the number of people being arrested under the Dangerous Drugs Act. What is even more alarming, Scott said, was the age group of the people being arrested, 43 per cent of whom are between the ages of 15 to 25.