The St. Catherine North Police Division has recorded its first murder-free calendar month in 29 months as Jamaica recorded 357 murders for the period January 1 to August 29 this year as compared with the same period last year.
Figures released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) showed that last year, Jamaica had recorded 461 murders representing a 22.6 per cent decline.
The figures showed that nearly all areas including Westmoreland, Hanover, Trelawny, St. Ann, St. Mary, Kingston Western, St. Andrew South, St. Catherine North and South, had all registered declines in murder cases.
Commanding Officer for St. Catherine North, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hopton Nicholson, said the achievement was particularly significant given the division’s 42 per cent reduction in murders during the period, representing the lowest number of murders recorded since the establishment of the division 30 years ago.
‘For the first time in 29 months since I’ve been the divisional commander, this division recorded a calendar month with zero murders,’ SSP Nicholson said, noting that the achievement should not be viewed merely as a favourable crime statistic, noting that every reduction in murder represents lives potentially saved and families spared the consequences of violent crime.
‘Behind every reduction in murder is a life potentially saved. A family spared unimaginable pain. A child who does not have to grow up without a parent. A community given a greater opportunity to live, to work and to prosper in peace,’ he said.
Nicholson said the results reflect the combined efforts of police personnel, intelligence officers, investigators, operational teams and communities.
He said that the division has intensified public order enforcement in town centres and along major thoroughfares, while deliberately increasing police presence in spaces prone to crime and violence.
‘Our approach is to prevent violence before it occurs,’ he said, adding that the increased police presence is intended to reassure citizens that the police are ‘present, visible and ready to respond’.
The divisional commander said anti-gang operations will also continue, with the police pursuing individuals and groups involved in gang-related activities, with the objectives of disrupting their operations, dismantling networks, degrading their capabilities and bringing those responsible before the courts.
He further highlighted community and stakeholder engagement as an essential component of the division’s policing strategy, noting that effective policing cannot be achieved by the police alone.
‘We build partnerships with our citizens, our community leaders, our business operators and other stakeholders,’ he said, while emphasising the importance of regular and meaningful engagement, while urging residents of St. Catherine North to continue working with the police, highlighting that information, cooperation and a willingness to stand against criminality are critical to maintaining the gains made.
‘We need your continuous partnership. The police cannot be everywhere at all times. Your information, your cooperation and willingness to stand against criminality are critical to our success,’ Nicholson said.
Jamaica recorded 673 murders in 2025, a 43 percent drop compared to 2024, which had 1,147 murders.
Meanwhile, the JCF is also reporting a decline in shootings with 355 cases so far this year as compared with 467 for the same period last year.
Police said that rape cases also declined from 266 to 237 and robbery cases also declined from 489 to 362.