KINGSTON, Jamaica — For the first eight days of 2022, the island’s murder tally has risen to 37, according to the latest police crime statistics.

This is nine more homicides or a 32.1 per cent increase when compared with the corresponding period in 2021.

Amid the increase in killings nationally, the total number of serious and violent crimes committed so far this year has declined by 16.5 per cent, the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) serious crime report for January 1 to January 8 indicated.

A total of 91 serious and violent crimes were reported up to last Saturday when compared to 109 last year.

Several police divisions have recorded no murders up to January 8. Among them are St Andrew North, St Andrew South, Clarendon, Trelawny, St Mary, and Portland police divisions.

However, the St Catherine North Police division leads in murders with seven cases, followed by Westmoreland with six, and Kingston Central with four cases. 

The JCF’s serious crimes report also showed that there was a marginal decrease in the number of shooting incidents as of last Saturday. 

There were 27 cases of shootings so far this year, compared to 30 for the same period last year, which represented a decrease of 10 per cent. 

In the meantime, declines have been recorded in cases of rapes and break-ins.

Only two cases of rape were reported up to January 8 this year, down from the 21 observed in the corresponding period last year, representing a reduction of 19 cases or 90.5 per cent.

The JCF reported a 35.7 per cent decrease in break-ins — nine this year compared to 14 in 2021. 

The numbers of robberies committed islandwide up to last Saturday remained the same as the 16 cases reported for the corresponding period in 2021.