Shameful Milestone: Jamaica Recorded 44 Murders in Seven Days. Jamaicans, like many people around the world, love to celebrate milestones. We celebrate achievements in sports, like track and field, soccer, and cricket, as well as in culture, music, and politics. No matter the occasion, we enjoy marking these significant events. For example, when Andrew Holness became the youngest Prime Minister of Jamaica, we celebrated enthusiastically.
Recently, Jamaica achieved another milestone over the seven days from November 10 through 16, 2024. This time, it’s a shameful milestone that no one will be proud to celebrate.
According to law enforcement, Jamaica recorded 44 murders in seven days, dubbing it the bloodiest seven days in decades. Shamefully, this milestone reflects deeper societal issues.
But aside from the harsh reality of losing 44 of our citizens to violence. There are a few shameful realities as well. First, Jamaica is one of the most dangerous places in the world that is not a war zone. Second, the mainstream media did not report more than half of those murders.
Still, it is hard not to notice that the mainstream media in Jamaica favor the ruling Jamaica Labor Party. It consistently underreported any news item that would hurt the government. And that’s why most Jamaicans no longer rely on mainstream media for fair and balanced news.
The dynamics of news reporting in Jamaica have changed drastically. The people now rely on trusted vloggers for news on various social media platforms. And since many of those vloggers have zero political connections, they report the shameful milestones alongside the good milestones.
Jamaica’s Crime Statistics Amid a Shameful Milestone
According to the latest crime statistics published by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the updated murder toll as of November 23 sits at 1,039. But there are reports of a mass shooting that unfolded along the Waltham Park Road in St Andrew Monday night. Six people were reportedly shot, and at least one was confirmed dead. Addressing such shameful milestones is crucial.
In the previous update, released a week earlier, Jamaica had recorded 995 murders. However, as of November 16, the year-on-year decline in murders has decreased by two percentage points, now reflecting an 18 percent drop.
Among the 19 police divisions, two have recorded over 100 murders: St. James with 117 and St. Andrew South with 107. The other divisions in the top five include Westmoreland, with 94 murders; St. Catherine North, with 86; and St. Catherine South, with 74.
On a positive note, 15 out of the 19 police divisions have reported a decrease in murders over the past year. Additionally, incidents of shootings, injuries, rape, robbery, and break-ins have decreased compared to the same period in 2023.
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