PORTLAND, Jamaica — Police in Portland say the division has achieved a 167 per cent murder clear-up rate this year, reflecting what commanders describe as sustained improvements in investigations and intelligence-led policing.

Commanding Officer Superintendent Ainsley McCarthy highlighted the division’s investigative performance during a divisional review, noting that detectives had also recorded strong clear-up rates for other serious offences.

“When we look at our clear-up rates…we have had 167 per cent clear-up,” McCarthy said.

He said investigators had also achieved a 90 per cent clear-up rate for rape cases, an 86 per cent clear-up rate for aggravated assault and a 100 per cent clear-up rate for larceny.

“For shootings, we are at 50 per cent. Robbery, we are at 60 per cent,” McCarthy said.

The commanding officer said the division had maintained a deliberate focus on ensuring offenders were brought before the courts, including those responsible for less serious offences.

“Our minor crimes are at 75 per cent, which means that we have been giving all our minor crimes attention,” he said. “For those that will bring our clear-up to 100 per cent, we are actively pursuing those persons. Those persons cannot be found, or they don’t want to come in.”

McCarthy said Portland’s investigative success was supported by intelligence-led operations targeting individuals assessed as having the greatest potential to generate violent crime.

He said detectives and operational teams would continue working together to improve investigative outcomes while maintaining pressure on repeat offenders and organised criminal groups operating within the division.