KINGSTON, Jamaica, Apr 8, CMC – Jamaica continues to record a significant decrease in murders so far this year, with figures released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) showing a 35.9 per cent decline for the period January 1 to April 5.
According to the figures, the country recorded 191 murders as compared with 298 for the corresponding period last year.
The JCF said Westmoreland, St. James, St. Ann as well as Manchester and Eastern Kingston and St. Catherine, all registered declines in murders, registering between 16 and 66.7 per cent declines.
However, some areas such as Portland, St. Andrew South and St. Mary recorded increases going to as high as 200 per cent.
Police also reported a decline in shooting from 283 to 209 for the same period with persons being injured declining to 153 from 251.
Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake said that the first quarter of 2025 saw the lowest number of murders in more than two decades, alongside the most significant drop in major crimes since 2001.
He said this was due to the sustained efforts being made across every level of the organisation, highlighting that this marks the sixth consecutive quarter in which murders have declined.
The figures released by the JCF comes at a time when six people were shot and killed in two separate alleged confrontations with the police on Monday/. The authorities said the killings occurred in in St James and three in Westmoreland.
Police reported that 15-year-old Sheldon McCalla, a former Petersfield High School student; his 25-year-old brother-in-law, Odaine Barron; and an unidentified man, were killed after allegedly opening fire upon a police team conducting an operation in Westmoreland.
The police said they had recovered two firearms and eight rounds of ammunition were seized from the house where they were killed.
In the St James incident, police said they shot and killed three unidentified men after they were fired upon
The police say they have recovered two guns at the scene. So far this year, 93 people have been killed by the police.
Last year, Jamaica recorded 1,141 slightly down from 1,393 victims a year earlier.
CMC/fh/ir/2025