Nicholas Richards, Gleaner Writer
STATISTICS FROM the Constabulary Communications Network (CCN), reveals a significant fall in crime for the parish of Clarendon during the first half of this year.
The 22 per cent drop is from a total of 470 major offenses in the corresponding year of 2004 to 369 for the same period in 2005. Of these homicides fell from 52 to 44, shootings from 63 to 47, rape 52 to 22, and robbery from 123 to 106 reported cases. Other crimes such as breaking and entering fell to 126 from 142. Larceny showed the greatest decline, with a 50 per cent drop in the number of reported cases.
Asked about the factors behind the success, Superintendent Terrence Bent of the Clarendon Police Division said this was due mainly to the establishment of a team to execute targeted operations for persons wanted for major crimes.
EVIDENT SUCCESS
''Especially in certain troublesome communities, we intensified these operations and we have been seeing the success,'' reported Supt. Bent,
''Most of what we have been doing has been via communication with the surrounding community. The local intelligence is bang on target," he explained.
Furthermore civic groups and officials such as the churches and Justices of the Peace (JP) have also been instrumental in crime fighting, consorting with the security forces to bring the perpetrators to justice. In a number of instances also, criminals have surrendered themselves to the police.
However crime reduction is not the only area in which success is being reaped, as the clear-up rate for the first half of 2005 stood at 41 per cent surpassing the 2004 rate, over the same period by nearly three per cent.
But amidst all the success, claimed Superintendent Bent, ''there is still much work to be done''.
