No murder in Kingston Central Division for 2 months
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Kingston Central Division says it has not recorded a single murder since Friday, November 15, 2024. The police said this marks two consecutive months without a murder.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Michael Phipps said the achievement was the result of a strategic move by the force.
“In 2024, the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) made significant strides in its efforts towards achieving its crime reduction and control objectives,” Phipps told Observer Online.
“The focus, now on strengthening investigative systems and disrupting criminal organisations, has yielded measurable improvement in crime statistics and operational effectiveness.”
A similar achievement was recorded in Kingston Central seven years ago, in June and July of 2018.
Furthermore, the division continues to maintain an entire year without a single murder in two of its historically violent communities — Parade Gardens and Rose Garden.
The ACP said the results reflect the force’s commitment to proactive crime prevention, strategic enforcement and community collaboration.
“And it is not an isolated success but was part of a larger ongoing effort to ensure public safety. And I know that with the sustained efforts the area is on track to meet our 2025 targets, reinforcing the area’s commitment to safer communities. We know that these are our desired objectives, and we are on the way to achieving them,” Phipps shared.
He said the efforts continue across all the JCF areas and divisions.
“Our focus at this time is to employ hotspot policing strategies in all the areas, especially those that have been known to have significant crime issues,” Phipps disclosed.
Kingston Central, like many other divisions, had also employed strong community-based policing, but the division said criminal elements were still determined to derail the gains made in several communities.
In the meantime, Leanardo Campbell also called Lenny, Courtney Sands also called Joshua and Tavarse Brown known as Brown Chaps are on the division’s wanted list. They are all from Allman Town, Kingston.
The police are urging the public to provide any information regarding the whereabouts of these individuals to assist in their arrest. Anyone with relevant details can contact the Kingston Central Criminal Investigations Branch at 922-5076 or Crime Stop at 311.
