According to the 2023 serious crimes statistics, murders declined by 7.8% year on year.

The latest update published today by the police shows that 118 fewer homicides were committed in 2023 than during 2022.

The police have revised to 1,511, the number of people who were murdered at the end of 2022.

Initially, the JCF reported that 1,498 people were murdered.

Checks by The Gleaner outlined that a cause of death can be upgraded to murder after relevant investigations are carried out.

The St James Police division, with 187 murders, led six other divisions with 100 murders or more in 2023.

Westmoreland, 117; St. Andrew South, 123; St. Catherine North, 120; Clarendon, 104; and St. Catherine South, 103, round out the other five divisions with over 100 murders.

It should be noted that only Kingston Western, Hanover, St. Ann and Clarendon had an increase in murders of all 19 police divisions, year on year.

St Andrew North and Portland held firm with 59 and 14 murders, respectively.

Shootings across all divisions recorded a decline, so too reports of injuries.

Rape across the divisions also recorded a 17.5% decline.

The JCF is also reporting a total of 780 robberies, a 15.3% decline when compared to 921 in 2022.

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