ST JAMES, Jamaica— There has been a 32 per cent decrease in major crimes across St Elizabeth, says Head of the parish’s Police Division, Superintendent Coleridge Minto.

Providing a breakdown of the crime statistics on Friday, July 19 at the handover of a housing unit under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) at Donegal in St Elizabeth, Minto noted that shootings have decreased by 12 per cent; robberies are down 27 per cent while aggravated assaults and break-ins decreased by 33 per cent, and 52 per cent respectively.

The superintendent pointed out that there have been four more murders, and rape cases remain unchanged, when compared to the same period last year.

Superintendent Minto said the overall reduction in major criminal activities signals a positive trend in police enforcement and public safety, adding that police operational activities across the parish continue.

However, he attributed the uptick in murders to several factors, including domestic violence and gang-related activities.

“Also, as you know, St Elizabeth lies between some of the other police divisions where we have persons moving across various borders. However, with the support from Area 3 and the Specialised Operations team from Kingston, we hope that we will be able to keep the figures down and reduce the number in coming weeks,” Superintendent Minto said.

In addition to crime statistics, he reported a significant improvement in road safety.

Superintendent Minto noted that fatal vehicle collisions have decreased from 21 to 15, with fatalities dropping from 23 to 17, when compared to the same period last year. This change, he said, is due to enhanced operational activities throughout the parish.

Additionally, he said the division has also intensified its traffic law-enforcement efforts, noting that traffic tickets issued have risen from 6,202 to 21,065.

—JIS