Murders continue downward trend in Clarendon; break-ins and aggravated assault up, say police

Murders and some other major crimes in Clarendon remain on the decline, disclosed Inspector Omar Fairclough at Thursday's monthly meeting of the council of the Clarendon Municipal Corporation.

As of July 5, the parish recorded 170 major crimes, down from 200 in the same period last year, a 15 per cent drop, noted Fairclough, sub-officer in charge at the Four Paths Police Station.

Murders fell by 43 per cent, with 21 cases so far this year compared to 37 in 2024. Shootings also declined from 38 to 21, rape from 18 to 10, and robberies from 38 to 32.

However, some categories saw increases: aggravated assault rose from 12 to 22, break-ins from 53 to 58, and larceny from four to six.

Fairclough also urged farmers to tag their livestock to help combat praedial larceny. He noted one case in which a suspect was caught with 60 goats.

“The persons doing the crimes are smart. Gone are the days when you could target the Probox or Axio; now they’re using SUVs, BMWs, and other high-end vehicles,” he said.

Fairclough added that the police have ramped up strategic road checks through the National Coordinated Roadblock Initiative.

The council is made up of the elected local government councillors.

- Olivia Brown

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