‘Daytime murders’… Latest police stats show over 120 homicides committed during the day

Nearly half the total number of murders recorded in Jamaica so far this year occurred during the daytime, between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., statistics compiled by the police have revealed.

Between January 1 and yesterday, a total of 280 murders were recorded across the 19 police divisions islandwide, according to Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) statistics obtained by The Gleaner.

One hundred and twenty-five of those killings occurred between 6:00 a.m. and 5:59 p.m.

Murders are up five per cent over the comparative period last year despite the nightly islandwide curfew and other coronavirus containment measures imposed by the government to restrict movement by citizens.

The St James Police and the St Andrew South Police led the way, each recording 37 killings since the start of the year.

For St James, this was more than twice the 16 murders recorded over the corresponding period last year and a five per cent increase for the St Andrew South Police.

A breakdown shows that nationally there were 37 killings between 6:00 a.m. and 8:59 a.m., accounting for a majority of the daytime murders.

There were 33 murders between 9:00 a.m. and 11:59 a.m.; 25 between noon and 2:59 p.m.; and 30 between 3:00 p.m. and 5:59 p.m.

A total of 71 murders occurred between 6:00 p.m. and 8:59 p.m., the largest for any of the three-hour time period created by the JCF.

The period between 9:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. was next with 53 reported killings.

The nightly curfew, which requires citizens to remain indoors, begins at 8:00 p.m. and ends at 5:00 a.m.

The JCF statistics show that there were 18 killings between midnight and 2:59 a.m.; and 13 between 3:00 a.m. and 5:59 a.m.

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