HANOVER, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has commended the Hanover police for implementing strategies which have reportedly resulted in a reduction in the murder rate in the parish.

Speaking while working in the parish on Friday, Holness received an update on safety and security matters from head of the Hanover police division Deputy Superintendent Andrew Nish, indicating that there has been an 11 per cent reduction in the murder rate in the parish capital since the start of the year.

This, according to reports, is a notable achievement for an area occasionally affected by crime, particularly gang-related activities police indicate is often fueled by lottery scamming.

In commending the Hanover police, Holness said: “I am very happy to see that you [the police] have strategies in place to manage the displacement that happens from the other two parishes and to keep whatever gang activities that are resident here, under control.”

According to a release on Friday, although Hanover is not typically associated with high crime rates, the parish is reportedly subject to periodic flare-ups due to its geographic location.

Hanover is bordered by Westmoreland and St James, which sometimes causes a spillover of criminal activities. The police have since implemented robust strategies to manage the displacement of criminal activities from these neighbouring parishes and a bid to control resident gang activities.

This proactive approach, the police indicated, has been crucial in maintaining public safety and law and order across the parish.

Holness noted that the continued dedication and strategic efforts of the police are central to the recent success in reducing violent crime in Hanover.