The police in St Ann are expressing concern, over the increase in the number of murders in the parish, since the start of the year.
The crime figures were released by Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Beresford Williams, while delivering the police’s report at the monthly meeting of the St Ann Municipal Corporation on Thursday, November 9.
At that meeting, the parish had then recorded 54 murders since the start of the year. He also revealed that the parish’s present murder tally of 54 has exceeded last year’s figure. The parish had recorded 51 murders recorded for 2016.
However, up to Thursday, November 16, the murder rate has since increased to 56.
DSP Williams pointed out that domestic dispute contributed to nearly half of the murders recorded so far this year. Domestic related murders account for 25 of the 54 murders.
The areas of concern impacting the domestic murder figure are Ocho Rios and Runaway Bay. The latter DSP Williams said attributed significantly to the murders caused by domestic disputes earlier this year.
However, Ocho Rios has seen a 100 per cent increase in murders.
In other categories of crime, DSP Williams stated that there has been an overall decline of 20 percent, with break-ins recording an approximately 50 percent reduction.
