Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Coordinator

More than 50 per cent of the almost 820 murders reported across the island since the start of the year remain unsolved despite concentrated attempts by the police to find the killers.

It is a similar story in the cases involving sexual intercourse with persons under the age of 16 with the police clearing up only 295 or 53 per cent of the 553 cases reported.

For the corresponding period last year, 172 cases of sexual intercourse with children were reported to the police with 35 or just over 20 per cent cleared up.

"A number of these murders occurred in open spaces, hence there is not much we can get in terms of forensics," a veteran member of the police Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) told The Sunday Gleaner last Friday

"This is compounded by the unwillingness on the part of witnesses to come forward," said the veteran cop who asked that his name be withheld.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force's crime statistics for the period January to September 22, indicated that of the 816 murders reported for the period, investigators have cleared up only 315 of the cases.

The 816 murders reflect an 11 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year when 799 persons were killed.

Bloody May

The crime statistics show that for this year, May was the bloodiest month of the year with 120 persons murdered.

January (108), August (104), February (96) and June (89), completed the top-five worst months.

The figures also show that the murders are heavily concentrated in St James (123); St Catherine North, which includes Spanish Town and its environs, (87); St Andrew South (69), Westmoreland (56), St Andrew Central (50) and St Andrew North (49).

While the cops are yet to determine the motives behind 13 of the killings, 411 are believed to be gang related, 65 were linked to domestic violence and 15 to mob killings.

The police reported that 312 persons were killed by criminals in non-gang related incidents.