No room for complacency
St James police aiming for crime-free month as major incidents trend downwards
Published:Friday | May 9, 2025 | 12:12 AMRochelle Clayton/Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
Buoyed by a notable decline in major crimes, Superintendent Mercedes Currie of the St James Police Division has commended the parish’s residents for their ongoing support in crime-fighting efforts.
Speaking at the monthly meeting of the St James Municipal Corporation on Wednesday, Currie expressed gratitude for the community’s partnership, especially since the beginning of 2025.
“As a result of the support that we have received, we have seen a downward trend in the crime in this division. And we cannot say that it has been only policing. We have often said that policing is so important that it cannot be left to the police alone, and, therefore, the contribution made by the citizens of St James has allowed us to see a reduction in the committal of crimes across this division,” she said.
Since the beginning of 2025, St James has recorded 19 homicides, a dramatic decrease from 55 during the same period in 2024. While shootings also dropped – from 50 to 24 – Currie noted an increase in robberies, with 14 reported so far compared to nine last year. Aggravated assaults saw a slight rise from six to seven, and break-ins declined from 13 to 10. Larceny reports increased slightly, from one to two.
“This brings us … to a total major crimes [tally] of 86, compared to 153 for the same period last year,” she added.
Currie credited the success not only to citizen involvement but also to strong partnerships, including with the Jamaica Defence Force.
“As a police division, we have been doing well. We have forged partnerships. We have been getting significant support from the Jamaica Defence Force, and as I said, the information coming in from the citizens of St James has really, really helped us significantly,” she said.
Despite the downward trend, Currie emphasised that the police remained proactive and are pushing to achieve at least one month of no major crimes in the parish.
“We have not found it comforting to just sit and do nothing, so since the 1st of May, we have launched Operation Storm II, which has seen an increase in our operational output across the division. And so far, we have had 16 major operations across the division of St James. Of significance in our results is that on the 2nd of May, in the Cambridge Police Area, we had a recovery of a firearm, but it [was] not just an ordinary recovery. Some amount of operation had to be done,” she said. “We recovered that firearm in the rural part of Cambridge and a large stash of ammunition, so we continue.”
Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon also praised the community’s involvement.
“I must also join you in commending the citizens. They have been well-behaved and … very cooperative. We have persons who are calling to say that they want to go in to speak with the police, and those are good signs pertaining to the impact that we are now experiencing from the policies and the work done on the ground through the Government of Jamaica,” said Vernon. “I’m happy that we are indeed seeing some significant positive things. So thanks to the police department and also, thanks to the citizens of St James for working together to ensure that we have a safer parish and a very good city.”