PORT ANTONIO, Portland — Except for aggravated assault, all violent crimes are down in Portland, compared to the same period last year.

Acting head of the parish’s police division, Deputy Superintendent Velonique Campbell provided the data at Thursday’s meeting of the parish’s municipal corporation.

The September 5 murder of a homeless man, which is still being investigated, was not included in the statistics as the period under review goes up to September 3.

Campbell did not provide detailed data for murders but told the meeting that they are less than they were at this time last year and that 43 per cent of them (six in total) have been cleared up.

Speaking about violent crimes in general, she said there were 47 less than a year ago, a 45 per cent drop. Of the 58 violent crimes committed, 30 (which is about 52 per cent) have been cleared up. This is twice the number of serious crimes cleared up in 2021, a trend that is in line with the overall clear-up rate for the parish. Last year it was 39 per cent. This year it is 78 per cent.

“The only category of crime that is showing an increase at this point is aggravated assault and it is up by five, or 250 per cent. This is in comparison to two [assaults] last year,” said Campbell.

Also among the crimes that have seen a reduction so far this year are

– robbery (down by 11, which is a 73 per cent drop);

– break-ins, 22, a 48 per cent decrease;

– shootings fell by five (which is a 58 per cent decline);

– larceny, six less instances (a decrease of 86 per cent); and

– rapes which decreased by two (18 per cent).