Clarendon murder rate plunges; police say new tactics paying off

Murders in Clarendon continue to decline, with police reporting 37 killings so far this year, a 42 per cent drop from the 64 recorded over the similar period last year, the Clarendon Municipal Corporation has been told.

That rate is on par with the 42 per cent decline in murders, nationally.

Overall, major crimes in the parish reflect a reduction of more than 22 per cent.

Inspector Graham Evangelist gave the update during Thursday’s sitting of the council of the municipal corporation.

Highlighting what he posited as the stellar efforts of the police and their no-nonsense approach to crime, Evangelist said the Clarendon Police Division had been deploying a hybrid policing strategy aimed at achieving their “sub-50” goal, which is to reduce murders to fewer than 50 across the parish.

"We have now put strategies in place to achieve what we call sub-fifty in the Clarendon division, and this will be achieved through hybrid policing operational activities. We will increase our visibility in the townships across the parish, as we to increase the level of security," Evangelist said.

That "hybrid policing methodology,” Evangelist explained, "is a combination of both overt and covert policing operational activities. So, the citizens of this lovely parish will see the police dominating the spaces, using flashing lights, police on motorcycles, walking through shopping districts to let citizens see that Clarendon is the pace to live, work and retire."

The senior lawman said praedial larceny continues to plague the parish, especially during the Yuletide season, but said steps are being taken to determine the acts.

"We have incorporated our territorial officer to look across the communities, and partner with all the farmers, and have WhatsApp groups to send out alerts, because these [praedial thieves] also carry big guns, which [sometimes] result in murders also," he said.

Evangelist added that the police will ramp up their presence on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day across the parish.

Meanwhile, Mayor Joel Williams announced that traffic changes in May Pen will go into effect on December 23.

Some members of the council, however, suggested that the date was too close to Christmas Day, and lobbied for the traffic changes to begin earlier.

Mayor Williams said the matter would be reviewed and announced in short order.

-Olivia Brown

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