KINGSTON, Jamaica – According to the latest police crime statistics, 382 people have been murdered in Jamaica since the start of the year.

This is seven fewer homicides or a 1.8 per cent decrease when compared to the corresponding period of January 1 to April 2 last year.

The St James Police Division continues to lead the national murder count with 68 cases, a 44.7 per cent increase compared to the 47 homicides reported in the division up to April 2 last year.

Westmoreland follows with 41 murders compared to 18 last year, while the St Catherine North Police Division had 36 reported homicides compared to 33 cases up to April 2, last year.

However, St Mary had the highest percentage increase in murders, with a 1,200 per cent rise. There were 13 murders committed in the parish up to Saturday, compared with one for the corresponding period in 2021.

This was followed by Trelawny, which had a 333.3 per cent increase in murders from January 1 to April 2, with 13 murders compared to three for the same period last year.

The Kingston Central Police Division, where a Zone of Special Operations (ZOSO) is under effect in Parade Gardens, saw a decrease in murders of 56.5 per cent for the reporting period.

There were 10 murders up to Saturday, compared to 23 last year.

Portland is once again the least murderous parish, having recorded four murders so far this year.

In addition to murder, information from the latest Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Periodic Crime Statistics Review shows that other areas of crime recorded significant decreases.

The data shows that there have been fewer cases of shootings, with a decrease of 54.

So far this year, between January 1 and April 2, there have been 285 shootings, in comparison to the 339 over the same period last year.

In the meantime, there were 89 cases of rape over the period under review, compared to 131 for the same period last year, which represented a decrease of 32.1 per cent.

Robberies saw an 8.6 decrease with 243 incidents this year compared to 266 in 2021.

Break-ins have, however, increased. There were 240 such incidents up to April 2 this year, when compared to 234 observed in the corresponding period last year, representing an increase of six cases or 2.6 per cent.

Overall, the total number of serious and violent crimes committed so far this year has declined by 8.8 per cent, the JCF stated.

A total of 1,239 serious and violent crimes were reported up to Saturday, when compared to 1,359 incidents reported up to April 2, last year.