LUCEA, Hanover — Commanding officer for the Hanover Police Division Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Andrew Nish has applauded the councillors in the parish for the assistance they have provided in the crime reduction push.

Addressing the monthly meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation on Thursday, Nish noted that the parish has seen a reduction in major crimes this year when compared to last year with one exception.

“We have reduction in all categories of crime with the exception of break-ins [and] we are giving this keen attention as we speak,” said Nish.

He noted that since the start of 2025 Hanover has recorded seven murders compared to 23 during the same period last year — a 69.57 per cent reduction.

Similarly, the parish recorded 11 shootings since the start of the year, compared to 30 in 2014.

Nish commended the residents, and all seven members of the corporation, for what he said was their active role in the gains recorded in the parish.

“I must commend the community stalwarts. Your Worship [Mayor Sheridan Samuels], your councillors are active, they are assisting greatly with the interaction and community engagement, which is what we need to embrace if we are thinking about anything in terms of reduction and the future,” said Nish.

He argued that the support of stakeholders in the fight against crime is important, “as boots on the ground, rifles, bullets, police cars, and operations are only temporary measures”.

Nish added: “If you want something that will be long-lasting and will be impactful over a number of years, you have to engage the communities. You have to change the minds of these youngsters and for that, I laud all of you,” declared Nish.

Of the seven murders committed in Hanover since the start of the year, three occurred in the Green Island police zone, two in Lucea, and two in the Sandy Bay police zone.

Nish noted that the police zones of Ramble, Kingsvale, and Hopewell currently have a clean slate, when it comes to murders.

He noted that the Ramble police zone experienced challenges last year but argued that this was a spillover from crimes in the neighbouring parish of Westmoreland.

“We saw where persons were trailed from Whithorn [in Westmoreland] into our space and met their demise. There was this one incident where this man was using a shortcut on the border from Westmoreland to Hanover and as he crossed the border, he was killed,” said Nish.

To date, the police Area One — Trelawny, St James, Hanover, and Westmoreland— has seen a 54 per cent reduction in murders.

Nish argued that this was one of the reasons the region was selected to host a leg of the police expo which will held at the Montego Bay Community College in St James, between June 19 and 27.

“We have to own this because I can remember when the tri-parish — St James, Hanover, and Westmoreland — had the state of public emergency. Those days were tough days and based on our significant contribution to the overall [crime] reduction across the island, we were awarded this expo. So, let us make the best of it,” said Nish as he urged residents to turn out for the event.