Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
DESPITE REPORTS by the Police High Command that there has been a decline in homicides, the country's murder rate remains high.
Up to Wednesday, there were 442 reported cases of murders since January, meaning an average of three persons have been murdered daily over the past 133 days.
But according to Derrick Smith, Opposition spokesman on national security, 126 persons were killed violently last month, equalling the figure set last year.
"There is a need for National Security Minister, Dr. Peter Phillips, and the Police High Command to review the April figures and focus on the need to ensure that the current assault on violent crime does not break down under the weight of this resurgence," Mr. Smith said.
VOLATILE AREAS
The Opposition spokesman noted that 73 persons were murdered in the last 14 days of April.
He further said that 16 of the victims were killed in the volatile areas of St. Catherine, which include Spanish Town, while an additional 10 were killed in the tourism capital of St. James.
Over the past four weeks, killings have been concentrated in St. James, St. Catherine, Clarendon and sections of the Corporate Area.
"Don't wait until the crime is committed, call and tell me what you know. My numbers are 902-1084 and 771-7682," said Superintendent Derrick Knight, the divisional commander for Clarendon, in urging citizens to assist the police to reduce killings.
Last week, Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Shields indicated that there was a reduction in murders by some 25 per cent, when compared with the corresponding period for last year.
He attributed the decrease to the implementation of an eight-point murder reduction action plan, unveiled by Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas in January.
The action plan aims at reducing the country's murder rate by five per cent.
