Hanover enjoying 74-per-cent reduction in murders, crime down 49.5 per cent overall
Published:Monday | July 14, 2025 | 12:05 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
The Hanover Police Division, which is on a mission to reclaim safest parish status, is now enjoying a major reduction in murders and crime overall, based on Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) crime statistics up to July 10.
“As it stands now, the parish of Hanover is seeing a 49.5-per-cent reduction in major crimes. That stands as one of the highest in the area. As it relates to murder, we are seeing an over 74-per cent-reduction,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Courtney Wilson, the administration officer in the Hanover division. “We only had eight murders since the start of this year compared to 31 over the similar period last year.”
Wilson made the disclosure while tabling the police’s monthly report at the July sitting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC).
While noting that there were challenges the division faced over the period, which were mostly personnel and resource-related, he said they did not hold back law enforcement.
“We are doing extremely well,” said Wilson, who listed the challenges as a shortage of personnel and equipment, which collectively would have made executing their duties easier.
“Within our organisation, we try our best to ensure that we police by consent,” he explained, noting that that strategy means that all stakeholders within the parish have a say in how policing is carried out. He said the strategy is working well.
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Turning to traffic management in the main townships in the parish, and the gridlock which sometimes occurs, Wilson pleaded for patience and understanding, especially during peak hours. He said the police are looking at introducing some alternate routes whenever and wherever possible.
“What we will be trying to do is to get the numbers out at those hours of the day to ensure that, even though you might be experiencing some amount of delay, it will be minimal,” he said.
Wilson added that, to ensure consistency in keeping the crime numbers down, the police would be monitoring “hotspots” across the parish while holding regular consultations with stakeholders in the respective communities.
“The police will not take all the credit for the improvements. This is something that is done with strong partnership, the input of everybody,” he insisted.
Wilson added that, with crime impacting everyone, the police were getting the full support of individuals and communities, noting that periodic reassessment would be carried out to ensure that the policies being adopted meet international obligations and are in keeping with the requirements and obligations of the commissioner of police.
“What this is saying is that we have over 20 families, who are not going to be borrowing any monies to bury any dead, or to keep any wake,” said Wilson, referencing the decrease in murder. “We have over 20 families who are actually going to be attending graduation, or going overseas on vacation, or be overall happier spending time with family and friends.
“That is what we are talking about when we say that we have a positive impact on the reduction of murder. We are not just talking about a percentage, we are talking about life.”