JCF reports murder clearance rate increase with over 300 cases solved

The Jamaica Constabulary Force says its murder clearance rate has climbed to 111% after detectives solved 304 murder cases between January 1 and July 4.

At the same time the country’s murder rate continued to fall.

The police say among the cases cleared were some dating back nearly 2 decades.

The latest crime statistics show investigators cleared 304 murder cases during the period, compared with 253 over the corresponding period last year, an increase of 20%, or 51 additional cases.

At the same time, Jamaica recorded 275 murders, down 23% from the 335 reported during the same period in 2025.

Overall, category one crimes declined by 15% with 322 fewer major crimes reported than last year.

The 111% murder clearance rate reflects investigators’ success in solving both current and historical cases.

The rate has increased significantly from 71% during the corresponding period last year.

The JCF points out that of the 304 murder cases cleared, 159 resulted in arrests, while 148 were cleared posthumously after suspects died before they could be prosecuted.

Overall, 162 of the solved murders were resolved posthumously.

The figures also highlight continued progress in resolving older investigations.

Detectives cleared cases dating back nearly two decades, including at least two cold cases from 2007.

In total, 192 murder cases from previous years were cleared during the period, with 107, or 55.7%, relating to murders committed in 2024 and 2025.

Investigative gains were recorded across all five police areas.

Area 2 recorded the largest improvement, with a 55% increase in murder clearances compared with the same period last year.

Area 5 recorded a 28% increase, while Areas 3, 1 and 4 posted increases of 26%, 17% and 7% respectively.

At the divisional level, 15 of the JCF’s 19 police divisions met both their current and previous-year murder clearance targets, with 13 exceeding both benchmarks.

The JCF says the reduction in murders formed part of a broader decline in serious crime.

Shootings fell by 27%, robberies by 25%, while both rapes and break-ins declined by 10%.