Jamaica Records Near 42 Percent Decline in Murders So Far This Year

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica has recorded 415 murders as of August 9 this year, down from the 712 killings the country experienced last year, according to the latest figures released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

It said that this represents a 41.7 percent decline with Westmoreland, St. James, Eastern Kingston, Western Kingston, and Manchester recording the lowest number of murders for the first nine months of the year.

The JCF is also reporting a 36.5 percent decline in shootings with 416 being reported as against 655 for the same period last year.

The police said rapes had also  declined significantly with 199 cases being reported as compared with 269, a decline of 26 percent over last year’s figure.

However, robbery and break-ins have increased by 11 and 24 percent, respectively even as the police reported a 17 per cent decline in crime overall.

In 2024, Jamaica recorded a total of 1,139 murders, a 19 percent decline when compared to the previous year.