Hanover police reject claim of 500 per cent hike in break-ins

Danae Hyman, Online Reporter

The Hanover police are rejecting as inaccurate, statistics contained in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF's) periodic serious crime review indicating a 500 per cent increase in break-ins in 2018 over 2017.

According to the JCF’s report, for the period January 1 to December 31, 2018, there were 24 reported break-ins in Hanover, that's 20 more than the four reported for the similar period of 2017.

However, Inspector Carl Brown, the acting crime chief for Hanover, said for 2018, there were 22 break-ins, up from 13 in 2017. 

That would be a 69.2 per cent increase.

"The statistics they produce in New Kingston is normally off," Brown told The Gleaner.

The JCF periodic crime review also indicated that rapes in Hanover increased by 200 per cent, moving from three in 2017 to nine in 2018.

But Brown said there was a 140 per cent increase with five cases being reported in 2017 and 12 in 2018.

Deputy Superintendent Dahlia Garrick, the head of the police Corporate Communications Unit said she was unaware of the discrepancy and promised to investigate.

"Sometimes some of the cases that are reported are not reported immediately especially in the tourist belt," Garrick said.

In the meantime, Brown said the police are expecting a reduction in break-ins in Hanover this year.

He said this is because late last year, five persons alleged to be the main perpetrators were arrested. 

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