DCP Thomas
Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
NEARLY 450 persons have been murdered since the start of the year, according to statistics posted on the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) website.
The records showed that 85 persons were killed in January, 98 in February, 88 in March and 110 last month. So far, 25 persons have been killed this month.
"We have seen an increase in the number of homicides this year, in comparison to last year," said Deputy Commissioner Lucius Thomas.
Reprisals and domestic disputes are said to be responsible for more than 50 per cent of the over 434 reported cases of murders committed islandwide since January. The lawmen are still baffled by 89 of these murders, which they have categorised as undetermine. This usually means that the motives for the killings are still unknown.
DCP Thomas disclosed that the police are in the process of reviewing the mediation system and making the necessary improvement, which, he said, should address the problem of domestic killings.
"Some of these reprisals are related to drugs. What we are seeing is that people who were killed up to 15 years ago, their relatives are now avenging their death," DCP Thomas told The Gleaner last night.
Speaking with The Gleaner yesterday, head of the Narcotics Division, Senior Superintendent Carl Williams, said investigations have revealed that some murders which have been categorised as 'undetermined', were in fact grounded in drug-related activities.
Last week, 23 murders were reported and of the number the motives for 16 were undetermine. The police have repeatedly charged that the unwillingness on the part of witnesses to come forward and give statements, has been hampering investigators.
While homicides in the country's school system continue to be a major concern, another student was killed by his schoolmate yesterday, at a school in Portland.
Dead is Andre Mitchell, a resident of Roland Fields, St. Thomas. Behind bars is his 16-year-old schoolmate. This is the third student killed over the past two months. Last Friday a 16-year-old boy was stabbed and killed on the compound of a St. Catherine School .
A month ago a female student from a inner-city school was shot and killed by a male student. Since January the police said at least seven children have been killed. Among the other victims are 45 women, 11 taxi drivers, seven members of the security forces, three crown witnesses, two security guards and one inmate.
Some of these reprisals are related to drugs. What we are seeing is that people who were killed up to 15 years ago, their relatives are now avenging their death.
