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National Security Minister, Hon. Peter Bunting, says the Government is moving to reduce the incidence of murders in Jamaica to less than one per day, by the year 2017.
Addressing a Jamaica House press briefing on Tuesday (Feb. 21), Mr. Bunting noted that significant gains had been made over the last two years in reducing the number of murders.
Statistics show that murders fell from 62 per 100,000 of the population in 2009, to 41 per 100,000 in 2011.
“We are looking at, that by 2017, we will be 12 per 100,000, which would give you… a maximum murder figure of about 321 (per annum), less than one murder per day in 2017…that is our target. We are now slightly over three murders per day and that, if it was just a straight line reduction, would mean we need to reduce murders by 134 per year, over the next five years,” he said.
Mr. Bunting contended that, in order to achieve this target, there is need to effect more “radical changes in the way we do things”, rather than approaching the challenge in an “incremental” way.
“We are going to have to unleash the innovative potential… of all those who are tasked with tackling the national security challenges. We are facing many challenges, but we refuse to allow the gains of the last two years to slip. We are determined to, not only maintain those, but to build on them,” he stated.
By Douglas McIntosh
Addressing a Jamaica House press briefing on Tuesday (Feb. 21), Mr. Bunting noted that significant gains had been made over the last two years in reducing the number of murders.
Statistics show that murders fell from 62 per 100,000 of the population in 2009, to 41 per 100,000 in 2011.
“We are looking at, that by 2017, we will be 12 per 100,000, which would give you… a maximum murder figure of about 321 (per annum), less than one murder per day in 2017…that is our target. We are now slightly over three murders per day and that, if it was just a straight line reduction, would mean we need to reduce murders by 134 per year, over the next five years,” he said.
Mr. Bunting contended that, in order to achieve this target, there is need to effect more “radical changes in the way we do things”, rather than approaching the challenge in an “incremental” way.
“We are going to have to unleash the innovative potential… of all those who are tasked with tackling the national security challenges. We are facing many challenges, but we refuse to allow the gains of the last two years to slip. We are determined to, not only maintain those, but to build on them,” he stated.
By Douglas McIntosh
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