- File
Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams, in dark glasses, in consultation with members of the Crime Management Unit during a police operation.
Leonardo Blair and Howard Walker, Staff Reporters
DESPITE A downward trend in major crimes reported by the police under the Government's new Crime Plan, several of the 19 police divisions islandwide, including communities targeted under the Plan are registering increases in murders, shootings, rapes and robberies.
Although a report from the Ministry of National Security showed a 20 per cent reduction in major crimes from January 1 to March 16, 2003, when compared to a similar period last year, that figure has been adjusted to 17 per cent in less than a month of the report due to increasing crime in some Corporate Area and rural parishes.
The police has reported that there has been a movement of criminal activity from the Corporate Area into some rural parishes, so far St. Catherine (North), Clarendon and St. Elizabeth have shown significant jumps in murder rates on this account. Hanover and St. James are seeing marginal increases as well.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Jevene Bent, recently said that crime is everyone's business and the support of the communities is crucial in winning this war against the crime and violence. She said that whenever we put the pressure on criminals in Kingston and St. Catherine, they would find refuge in Clarendon and other parishes. She even encouraged residents to be vigilant when they see strangers and they cannot account for themselves, then residents need to work with the police to get rid of them one way or the other.
In a previous interview with The Gleaner, Commanding Officer for Clarendon, Superin-tendent Warren Clarke, pointed out that with the new Old Harbour bypass, criminals fleeing Cor-porate Area communities are finding it easier to move in and out of the parish.
In the St. Catherine North Division the murder rate moved up by some 85 per cent over last year, Clarendon and St. Elizabeth have seen 67 per cent increase each.
After Kingston and St. Andrew, Clarendon and St. Catherine (North) hold the second and third largest groupings of the island's population at 227,032 and 200,300 persons respectively. The size of the population in these parishes makes it relatively easy for strange faces to be over-looked.
However, these rural parishes are not the only ones reflecting increases.
Galloping closely behind the St. Catherine North Division's 85 per cent rise are the murders for the St. Andrew Central Division which so far is showing a 70 per cent increase in murders. Thirty-nine persons were killed in this division up to April 20 this year reflecting an increase of 16 murders. Most of the dead in both divisions lost their lives in reprisal killings, gang warfare and domestic disputes.
As part of the new anti-crime initiative, police and military personnel have been posted in Payne Land (St. Andrew South), Hannah Town and Denham Town (Kingston Western), which up to November last year had high rates of crime. Both divisions, however, continue to reflect increases in murders of 29 and 15 per cent respectively.
ROBBERY
So far only St. Andrew South, Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth have shown an increased percentage in robbery over the three-month period. St. Andrew North up by 49 per cent, followed by Westmoreland, 43 per cent and St. Elizabeth with 20 per cent. In contrast, Trelawny's robbery rate decreased the most by 65 per cent, followed by Portland with 63 per cent, West Kingston with 59 per cent and St. Andrew Central with 45 per cent.
LARCENY
For the first three months of the year compared to the same period last year, Kingston East has an increase of 200 per cent in larceny cases. St. Catherine North follows with 150 per cent and St. James with 43 per cent. While Kingston West, St. Andrew South and St. Elizabeth have a 100 per cent drop in larceny. St. Andrew Central and Kingston Central follow next with 67 and 63 per cent respectively.
