MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Police in Manchester say despite three recent murders in the parish residents should not panic.

“I have realised that there are some concerns as to the things that are happening currently in Manchester, and understandably so. As law enforcement we welcome to be held accountable by the persons that we serve; it is not a problem to us. However, I just want the general public to understand that what we are doing is strategic and deliberate and it will in the end ensure that all the citizens of Manchester are safe. We want to create that environment that the citizens of Manchester can feel safe and know that they are operating and living in a space that is safe,” head of the Manchester Police Division Deputy Superintendent Carey Duncan told journalists in Mandeville on Wednesday.

“We are imploring the good citizens of Manchester to partner with us because it is that partnership that is going to see us having a further reduction [in crimes],” he added.

Crime officer for Manchester Deputy Superintendent Dennis Simpson said that the recent murders are not connected.

“Since the 26th of April, the Manchester Division has recorded three murders. These incidents, based on our investigation, have no connection with each other. They occurred in separate sections of the division,” he said.

On April 26, the 2022 Prime Minister youth awardee for agriculture Ceejay Cunningham, 29, was gunned down while tiling a house in Davyton, Manchester. On May 1, Kerrean Nicole Airy, 46, a bartender was killed on her second day on the job in New Green, Manchester.

Disc jockey Davian “Dippo” Anderson, 31, was shot dead at a bar in Royal Flat, Manchester on Sunday night.

“We are following strong leads in each of these murders. Particularly that murder in Davyton. We are confident that in short order we will make arrests in these incidents. The investigations are continuing in all these matters and we are confident that we are on the right path,” said the crime officer.

Duncan said the police, however, are seeing reductions in most categories of crimes.

“We have seen a downward trend in all our major crimes, with the exception of shootings. In particular, our murders are down by 57 per cent when compared to the same period last year. This is [as a result] of our strategic approach as it relates to crime-fighting efforts,” he said.

“In 2023, Manchester CIB had the highest clear-up rate for murders [nationally] that speaks to the level of investigation that takes place in Manchester,” added Duncan.

The police chief said Manchester was once seen as the “break-in capital of Jamaica”.

“With sustained and deliberate efforts of the police, we managed to break the back of our break-ins, reducing it by in excess of 70 per cent when compared to 2022 over 2023,” said Duncan.