KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is reporting that all categories of serious and violent crimes are trending down when compared to the same period in 2017 as at Sunday, June 3.

Data from the police’s Statistics and Information Management Unit show that there is an overall 9.6 per cent reduction in serious and violent crimes, while there has been a five per cent reduction in acquisitory crimes over the period under review.

Murder is down by 16 or 2.6 per cent less than the corresponding period last year, while 14 less shootings occurred, a reduction of 2.7 per cent; 57 (24.8 per cent) less cases of rape were reported and aggravated assault down by 32.8 per cent.

According to the release from the police’s Corporate Communications Unit, two divisions under a state of public emergency, St James and St Catherine North, continue to be positively impacted by the heightened presence of the security forces.

St James continues to record large reductions in murder with 78 less (66.1 per cent) reported over the period, while shootings went down by 45, a reduction of 49.5 per cent.

St Catherine North Division, for the first time in 2018, has recorded no increase in murders and is seeing six less cases of shootings, a 12.2 per cent reduction, when compared to the same period last year.

There have been 59 reported cases of murders in the division since the start of the year compared to the same figure for the comparative period last year, representing no increase. The data is also indicating a downward trajectory in murders and shootings in that division.

The gun continues to be the weapon of choice in over 82 per cent of murders reported for the period, while the knife is featured in 6.4 per cent of murders; machetes 2.7 per cent and other implements are used in over eight per cent of the reported murders for the period.

Meanwhile, over 530 people have been arrested for breaches of the Firearms Act and over 500 for breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

A total of 328 firearms and over 5500 rounds of ammunition have been seized since the start of the year.

Since May, the police said it have arrested and charged 33 people for several murders across the island, while nine people have been charged with shooting incidents.

Between January 1 and the end of May, approximately 28 people have been charged under the Anti-Gang legislation, 38 people charged with fraud, 16 for breaches of the Intellectual Property Act, while 10 were charged with human trafficking.