KINGSTON, Jamaica — According to the latest police crime statistics, 446 people were murdered in Jamaica up to April 21, 2022.

This is eight more homicides or a 1.8 per cent increase when compared with the corresponding period last year.

The St James Police Division leads the murder count with 76 cases, a 49 per cent increase compared to the 51 homicides reported in the division up to April 21 last year.

Westmoreland followed with 46 killings this year, or 18 more cases when compared to the same period last year, while the St Catherine North Division recorded 40 homicides.

However, St Mary had the highest percentage increase in murders, with a 1,500 per cent rise. There were 16 murders committed in the parish this year, compared with one for the corresponding period in 2021.

Portland is the least murderous parish in 2022, having recorded four murders so far this year.

The data revealed, also, that murders were down in eight of the 19 police divisions.

Those with reductions are Kingston Central, down 57.7 per cent; St Andrew South, down 41.7 per cent; Clarendon, down 39.3 per cent; St Catherine South, down 33.3 per cent; Kingston Eastern, down 28 per cent; Kingston Western, down 23.5 per cent; St Ann, down 17.6 per cent; and St Andrew Central, down 8.3 per cent.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force’s serious crimes report also showed that there was a decrease in the number of shooting incidents as of last Thursday.

There were 354 cases of shootings over the period under review, compared to 394 for the same period last year, which represented a decrease of 10.2 per cent.

In the meantime, declines have been recorded in cases of rapes and robberies.

Some 127 rapes were recorded up to April 21 this year, down from the 157 observed in the corresponding period last year, representing a reduction of 30 cases or 19.1 per cent.

Robberies saw a 9.4 per cent decrease with 280 incidents this year compared to 309 in 2021.

However, there was a 6.2 per cent increase in the incidents of break-ins this year. The data showed that 292 cases were recorded, compared to 275 last year.

Amid the increase in killings nationally, the total number of serious and violent crimes committed so far this year has declined by 4.7 per cent.

A total of 1,499 serious and violent crimes were reported up to April 21, when compared to 1,573 incidents reported for the corresponding period in 2021.