KINGSTON, Jamaica – There was an increase in the number of calls made to Crime Stop from 687 in 2012 to 1,148 in 2022.

An analysis of the calls showed that 31.7 per cent were related to illegal firearms and ammunition; 24.7 per cent, gunmen; 9.5 per cent, wanted persons; 3.9 per cent, drug-related; and three per cent, murder.

This is contained in the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) 2022 Economic and Social Survey.

The report noted that the 77 arrests made from calls received were for various offences. These include murder, 11; illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, 12; and illegal possession of drugs, 14.

“Similar to 2020 and 2021, the ratio of success-to-calls-investigated was 1:8,” the document indicated.

Consequent on the information received, the following were seized or recovered: 59 illegal firearms, 539 rounds of ammunition, 71.1 kilogrammes of cured marijuana, and 47 marijuana plants and 35 seedlings.

“The value of narcotics seized or discovered was approximately $2.4 million and the value of property recovered was approximately $21.4 million, while $7.7 million was paid out in rewards,” the report stated.

Since its inception, Crime Stop has received 31,161 calls, of which 24,719 or 79.3 per cent have been investigated.

This resulted in the arrest of 2,858 people (368 for murder), the seizure of narcotics valued over $871 million, and the recovery of property valued approximately $286.8 million.

Some $62.8 million has been paid out in rewards, of which $43.5 million was contributed by the Ministry of National Security with $15.9 million coming from the National Crime Prevention Fund, which operates Crime Stop.

– JIS