IN a bid to lower Jamaica’s murder rate the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has identified 233 key people believed to be involved in major criminal activities who it wants to face the law.

Speaking at the annual Specialized Operations Branch Conference recently, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Warren Clarke revealed the JCF has adopted a targeted approach aimed at apprehending prolific offenders and dismantling the networks fuelling Jamaica’s staggering murder rate.

“We have categorised those that we believe are very prolific. We call those strategic targets, and those targets ought to be pursued from here [Specialized Operations],” said Clarke at the conference, which was held under the theme ‘Celebrating Excellence for a Force for Good’.

According to Clarke, in addition to the 223 major targets, the police will be going after other criminals using area-specific fugitive apprehension teams (AFATs) and local operational support teams (OSTs).

He said this multi-tiered approach is designed to maximise operational efficiency and address the core drivers of violent crime across the country.

Clarke noted that Jamaica’s murder rate, which he described as “singularly crippling to the nation,” remains one of the highest in the region, second only to Haiti.

The most recent data, which was released by Statista.com last month, shows that Jamaica is still reeling with the ongoing challenges of violent crime as it has recorded more than 1,000 murders every year since 2020.

This ranking makes Jamaica being consistent at the second place for five consecutive years. Statista.com further reported that over the period 2019 to 2023, Jamaica recorded a total of 7,027 murders, once again standing second just to Haiti’s 10,610.

In noting that nearly 1,100 people have been killed this year alone in Jamaica, a figure that rivals death tolls in conflict zones, Clarke said: “Not even people who are at war are killing people as efficiently as we are”.

He lamented the devastating impact of these losses, noting that the violence has robbed the nation of untapped potential and intellectual capital.

“Of those 1,100 people who died this year, have we ever considered the intellect that has been lost?” Clarke asked.

The veteran cop warned that crime is driving away foreign investment and stifling economic growth in Jamaica.

“Crime diverts foreign exchange from Jamaica. All those foreign investment opportunities and business people, they stay away because of the violence problem too,” said Clarke as he pointed out that, “this vicious cycle of violence and economic stagnation threatens the very survival of the country”.

He added that despite these challenges, the JCF is resolute in its commitment to reducing the murder rate and outlined a goal of achieving fewer than 1,000 murders annually

“We tried it this year to have a sub-1,000 year, and it was a good rehearsal,” he said as he acknowledged the late start in this year’s efforts but expressed optimism for next year’s campaign, which he believes is critical to the nation’s future.

“None of those nice things we talk about — making Jamaica the place to do business and raise families — will happen unless we deal with violence,” warned Clarke as he noted that Jamaica has not registered below 1,000 murders for the year since 2003 when the country recorded 973.