POLICE Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson believes the anti-informer culture in Jamaica is changing, based on the overwhelming response from the public to calls from the constabulary to give up gunmen.

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Commissioner Anderson lauded the public for the faith they have expressed in the police force, as evidenced by the increase in tips to entities like Crime Stop.

“We would like to thank the public for responding positively to our campaigns that have sought to remove the stigma from sharing information with the police,” the commissioner told the press conference held at the police headquarters in St Andrew.

Statistics from Crime Stop showed that there has been a 97 per cent increase in tips from the public for the first quarter of 2022, when compared with the same period in 2021. According to the commissioner, the majority of the tips are related to illegal firearms and ammunition, gunmen, wanted persons, lottery scamming and drugs.

During the press conference, it was revealed that in the first quarter of the year ending March 31, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, in partnership with other law enforcement agencies, seized 223 illegal firearms, compared with 195 for the same period in 2021. These included 37 high-powered rifles.

Major General Anderson added that the tips also contributed to the overall intelligence of the force.

“It is clear that our citizens are recognising the people who are damaging our society for what they are — the architects of death, mayhem and pain,” Major General Anderson added.

The commissioner encouraged the public to continue to use the 311 Crime Stop hotline or 811 to report illegal activity.