MONTEGO BAY, St James — Gangs and guns are among the major factors fuelling crime in Montego Bay, according to the findings of a study undertaken by University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) on behalf of Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI).

“The primary cause of crime was identified as gang recruitment and the prevalence of guns,” MBCCI President Oral Heaven told the Jamaica Observer in a sneak peek at the results.

The analysis looked at the period between 2018 and 2022, a follow-up to a previous study conducted by The University of the West Indies in the years up to the 2017.

“The study shows that the cause of crime is easy access to guns, poor family values, gangs actively recruiting young people, conflict between people, and lack of education,” said Heaven.

He said the 102-page report was completed following face-to-face surveys and responses from 113 online participants. While 33 per cent of those surveyed said they had not experienced crime, those who said their communities had been impacted listed incidents of robbery, murder and burglary as the top three on their list. Robberies were at 11.3 per cent, murders at 10.4 per cent and burglary at 9.6 per cent. Scamming was fourth on the list.

“It is interesting to note that while few people were the victims of scamming, more respondents were aware of the act of scamming taking place within their communities. So, they are aware of it but they were not victims,” Heaven noted.

The next step is to enter into private-public partnerships to implement recommendations coming out of the study. Suggestions include implementation of a multi-stakeholder approach, boosting trust between the police and citizens, the introduction of value-based social intervention, the implementation of social support systems specifically for children, and increased budgetary allocation for St James policing activities.

“When we have these recommendations and solutions we don’t just throw them down and leave them. The onus is on us as citizens to have public-private partnerships and the whole joint agencies coming together to ensure everything is involved. Proper street vending, proper town planning, all of those things contribute to a reduction [in crime]. If we do those things how we are supposed to do it, it will result in the reduction in crime,” Heaven said.

“Having sensible green areas, seating areas; just the matter of how you dispose [of] your garbage; how your buildings look on St James Street; taking pride back in yourself in our community, in our surroundings, that too will result in the reduction of criminal activity. So when you look at everything you can’t pull [only] one thing out. Everything must work together if we are going to take this thing by the horns and move forward,” he added.

The study, which had a $1-million price tag, was carried out by researchers in an effort to determine the effects of crime on the local business community and residents, the financial costs being incurred, and measures that can be implemented to mitigate the scourge.

Over the years St James has gained notoriety as being the murder capital of Jamaica.

This year, however, the parish has seen a steady decline in killings. From January 1 to September 21 it recorded a 29.6 per cent reduction in murders over the corresponding period last year. Up to September 21 this year the parish recorded 100 murders, 42 less than the 142 recorded over the comparable period last year.