2018 Murders by divisions ... Rural parishes lead tally

Rural parishes recorded more murders than police divisions in the metropolitan area last year.

Police statistics indicate that of the 1,287 murders committed in 2018, rural parishes accounted for 648.

There were 639 murders in urban police divisions.

But although rural divisions dominated the tally for 2018, St James saw a 70 per cent reduction, recording 102 murders down from 341 in 2017. 

Since January 18 last year, St James has been under a State of Public Emergency, now due to end on January 31. 

Clarendon also saw a significant decrease in homicides, dropping from 171 in 2017 to 133 last year.

Portland, with 15 murders, had the lowest number of murders in 2018, but that figure was 66.7 per cent higher than the nine people killed in the eastern parish in 2017.

Overall, there was a 21.9 per cent drop in homicides in 2018 compared with the 1,647 reported in 2017.

MURDERS BY POLICE DIVISIONS:

Kingston Central
2018: 16
2017: 27

Kingston Eastern
2018: 67
2017: 56

Kingston Western
2018: 70
2017: 94

St Andrew Central
2018: 82
2017: 76

St Andrew South
2018: 148
2017: 160

St Andrew North
2018: 62
2017: 58

St Catherine North
2018: 98
2017: 137

St Catherine South
2018: 96
2017: 109

St Thomas
2018: 31
2017: 22

St James
2018: 102
2017: 341

Trelawny
2018: 30
2017: 22

Westmoreland
2018: 141
2017: 148

Hanover
2018: 59
2017: 61

St Mary
2018: 36
2017: 24

St Ann
2018: 48
2017: 60

Portland
2018: 15
2017: 9

Manchester
2018: 31
2017: 46

Clarendon
2018: 133
2017: 171

St Elizabeth
2018: 22
2017: 26

*NOTE: The figures for Kingston Western have been updated.

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