Hanover Police commend stakeholders for assisting in reducing crime

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Hanover police are commending all stakeholders for collaborating with the police, and assisting to curtail criminal activities within that parish.

“So far this year, we are seeing good signs in terms of the reduction in crimes within the parish, and we intend to build on that towards having a significant reduction at the end of the year 2025,” Superintendent of Police in charge of the Hanover division Andrew Nish stated in an interview with The Gleaner.

The interview followed his presentation at the Hanover Municipal Corporation’s June monthly meeting, where he outlined the JCF statistics which reflected a downward trend in criminal activity across the parish of Hanover.

“We are at seven murders within the parish, compared to 23 up to this time last year, which represents a 70-per-cent reduction in murders. We are at 11 shootings versus 30 up to this time last year, which represents a 63-per-cent reduction,” Nish stated.

“Basically, overall we have a 43-per-cent reduction in all categories of crimes within Hanover combined, when compared to the corresponding period last year,” he pointed out.

The Hanover Divisional leader stressed that the major fall in crimes within the division was due to a combination of efforts and strategies.

“I ‘specially want to thank the stakeholders and community stalwarts in Hanover, who are playing their part in assisting us (the police) with the community interventions. Also the hard work from the JCF men and women in the Hanover division,” he stated.

“Those, plus the strategies we within the JCF Hanover division have employed over the past couple of months has led to this reduction,” he noted.

He expressed that the low levels of criminal activities within the parish can be maintained if there is a continued creation of the kind of atmosphere that is conducive to good policing, along with the same level of community engagement, and support.

Nish used the opportunity to spotlight the JCF’s upcoming Expo 2.0, which will be staged at the Montego Bay Community College, from June 19 to 22.

“At that expo we will be showcasing the Jamaica Constabulary Force, its journey and the transformation through people, quality and technology,” he stated.

The 2024 JCF expo was held in Kingston, with the 2025 edition of the event to be held in the JCF area 1,which has a 54.8-per-cent reduction in major crimes year to date in 2025 when compared with the similar period in 2024. The JCF Area 1 is comprises the parishes of Trelawny, St James, Hanover and Westmoreland.