St James, Jamaica (McKoy’s News) – St James Murder Rate 366 Murders: The year 2017 has just climaxed and the parish of St James ended the year with the most murders recorded. A total of 336 persons have been brutally slain in the parish throughout the year and this total has seen St James overlapping parishes such as Hanover, Portland, Trelawny, St Elizabeth and St Thomas altogether.
Within the last five days of 2017 (Wednesday, December 27 to Sunday, December 31, 2017) a total of ten persons were killed. Two of the victims were fatally shot by the police while the other eight victims were brutally slain by gunmen.
St James recorded two double murders in just 36 hours within the city of Montego Bay itself and two single murders just minutes apart in Cambridge.
The police have reported that during 2017, the Barnett Street policing area which accounts for the inner city areas recorded the most murders with over 60 deaths. This is followed by the Montego Hill and Cambridge policing areas.
The parish of St James also recorded four murders during the Christmas weekend which saw a total of 12 persons being murdered in just ten days up to the year-end.
St James Murder Rate: In 2016, St James recorded 269 murders but the total of 336 murders in 2017 has now left St James as the parish to have recorded the most murders in the country of Jamaica in its existence.
With a total of 336 murders, St James has recorded close to one person being murdered each day.