DESPITE police statistics showing that Jamaica has seen a reduction in major crimes, a recent survey has revealed that the majority of respondents have a perception that the problem has increased.

According to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica’s 2023 Jamaica National Crime Victimisation Survey Report, Jamaicans 16 years and older living in a private dwelling during the time of the survey were asked whether they believed that crime had ‘increased’, ‘remained the same’, or ‘decreased’ in four distinct geographic locations: community or district, town or city, parish, and Jamaica.

A total of 88.6 per cent of respondents perceived an increase in crime in Jamaica when comparing 2022 to 2023. This represents a growing perception of a rise in criminal activities in Jamaica, as 76.5 per cent of respondents had the perception that crime increased when comparing 2018 to 2019.

Additionally, 67.8 per cent of respondents perceived that crime increased in their parish in 2023, up from 56.2 per cent who perceived an increase in crime in 2019. Towns and cities were also perceived to have an increase in crime by 47.8 per cent of respondents, an uptick from the 37.9 per cent who perceived an increase in crime in 2019.

The percentage of respondents stating that crime remained the same in their community or district was 55.9 per cent in 2023, compared to 52.3 per cent in 2019.

Residents of Portland had the highest perception of an increase in crime in 2023, with 92.7 per cent.

In 2019, the highest perception of an increase in crime was among residents in St Elizabeth, with 76.1 per cent.

Notably, most individuals living in either urban or rural areas reported that crime had remained the same in their community across both surveys. Specifically, 53.2 per cent of the urban population and 58.8 per cent of the rural population expressed this view. This is an increase from 45.5 per cent for urban residents but a decrease from 60.2 per cent for rural residents recorded in 2019.

Additionally, 24.1 per cent of urban dwellers and 21.7 per cent of rural residents indicated that crime had decreased in their community.

Despite the perception among respondents that crime increased in Jamaica in 2023, statistics from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) show otherwise.

According to the police statistics, major crimes in Jamaica in 2023 saw a 10.7 per cent decline when compared to 2022.

There were 1,393 murders recorded in 2023, a 7.8 per cent decline when compared to 2022.

According to the JCF, the St James Police Division had 187 murders, the highest number recorded in any police division across the island in 2023. St Andrew South followed with 123 murders, while St Catherine North closed out the top three with 120 murders recorded.

The number of shootings, rapes, robberies and break-ins also decreased in 2023.