Clarendon Records 53% Drop in Murders and 27% Overall Crime Reduction
In a major update delivered to Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Acting Commanding Officer for the Clarendon Police Division, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Cardoza, reported substantial declines in serious crimes across the parish.
The commanding officer shared that murders are down by 53%, shootings by 40%, and overall crime by 27%.
This, he said, is as a result of intelligence-led policing, strong community partnerships, and visible police presence.
“I am privileged to announce that the Clarendon Division has been doing well in their crime reduction efforts,” said DSP Cardoza. “We are doing pretty well in reducing crimes. This we attribute to our continued intelligence-driven policing, our community engagements, and our stakeholder partnerships with other agencies and the community.”
During a visit on Friday (May 30) in the parish, Prime Minister Holness commended the report and noted the significance of the progress being made in rural areas such as Clarendon.
DSP Cardoza confirmed that reductions have been seen across the wider parish, not just in isolated areas, describing the improvements as unprecedented.
“For the parish in general, we are seeing a reduction. This is something that we have not seen for years. We are coming from a time when we are seeing over 100 murders.”
The Commanding Officer emphasized that community policing has been critical to their success, especially in gathering intelligence that drives police operations.
“We find that part of what drives our intel-driven operation is from the communities themselves. So, from our engagement with them, we get intelligence. And that is one of the main reasons why we have been able to reduce crime so significantly within the parish.”
DSP Cardoza also outlined the Clarendon Police’s extensive community engagement initiatives, including regular patrols, widely publicized community meetings, school visits, and daily walkthroughs in quiet areas.
Prime Minister Holness highlighted the importance of this model of policing, especially in areas with limited state presence.
“The public is not always exposed to community policing, the softer policing, the community and citizen engagement, and how critical a role the police play in communities like these where other agencies of the state may very well be absent.”
The Prime Minister ended by commending the leadership and strategy of the Clarendon Police Division and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating safer communities for all Jamaicans.