This past midweek came the glowing declaration that ‘St Mary marks 104 murder-free days as killings fall by 63 per cent’.

Now, we have been hearing news of falling crime statistics, but a trend of over 100 days without murder incidents and a percentage decline trending in such high numbers cannot be scoffed at. Something is going right.

Fact is the parish completed an entire second quarter without a single homicide, as it continues to outpace its annual crime-reduction targets.

Commanding officer for the division, Superintendent Anthony Wallace, said St Mary has recorded only seven murders so far this year. The division is aiming to end the year with no more than 12 murders — we in this space take that ambition for the reality that we face.

Superintendent Wallace said the division had deliberately set itself a more ambitious target than the national benchmark.

Whatever undergirds this success is matter for serious investigation and analysis with a view to replicate it across many more parishes.

“There has been no murder in Zone Two. Zone Two was the murder capital for St Mary. Those days are no longer,” he charged.

Officer Wallace attributed the improvement to intelligence-led policing, focused operations against known violence producers, and stronger engagement with communities.

The senior cop reported that the division has conducted more than 508 targeted raids since the start of the year, executed 15 major operations, and imposed more than 100 curfews aimed at preventing reprisals and disrupting criminal activity. Police have also identified 41 people regarded as the parish’s principal drivers of violence for sustained enforcement action.

He said the division’s investigative performance had also improved significantly, with murder and shooting clear-up rates both standing at 157 per cent, supported by the arrest of several priority offenders and dozens of convictions for serious crimes.

We note that Superintendent Wallace recognised a united management team, an expanded Community Safety and Security Branch, enhanced intelligence capabilities, and sustained partnerships with stakeholders across the parish.

Do these circumstances, resources, and conditions exist elsewhere? And, are they reaping such elevated results.

The division had strengthened its community engagement through regular walk-throughs, church services, and meetings with residents and stakeholders across the parish.

The divisional leadership has signposted the intention to intensify their current approach, rather than simply maintain it, expressing confidence that sustained enforcement, community partnerships, and focused deterrence will preserve the gains made across the wider parish.

Whatever the command for uniformed groups to fall in line needs to be the clarion call around other parishes as things are unequivocally heading in the right direction in St Mary.

Time to do further investigation into this methodology.