Jamaica: Police Sergeant shot in Gregory Park, St Catherine

Jamaica: Another shooting incident has been reported in the Caribbean island of Jamaica where A police sergeant was reportedly shot and got injured – Sunday morning in Gregory Park, St Catherine, and later succumbed at the hospital.

The deceased is identified as – Sergeant Averel McCollin, of the St Andrew South Division. 

As per to the report of the Police authorities, around 1:35 am, McCollin, who is of the Hunts Bay Police Station, was shot and injured at a Cottage Drive address prior to succumbing to his injuries at the Spanish Town Hospital.  

The crime rate in Jamaica – 

Jamaica is one of the usual violent nations in the Caribbean region. In the year 2020, there were approximately 46.5 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in the island nation, the highest homicide rate in – Latin America and the Caribbean that year. However, the homicide rate had improved compared to the year 2019, when 47.4 homicides were registered per 100,000 population.  

The crime rate declined in 2018 after the year 2017 and then again rose in the following year and till now is still getting high. 

Some regions of Jamaica, especially cities such as – Kingston, Montego Bay, and the Spanish Town, witnesses high levels of crime & violence. Jamaica has/had one of the – ‘highest murder rates’ among the nations world for many years, according to the United Nations estimates. The Former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson described the situation as – a national challenge of unprecedented proportions.  

When Jamaica gained independence in the year 1962, the murder rate was – 3.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, which is ‘one of the lowest in the world. In the year 2005, Jamaica had – 1,674 murders for a murder rate of – 58 per – 100,000 people.

That year, the island country had the highest murder rate in the world. In November – 2008, the Jamaican Parliament voted to maintain the death penalty, which is performed by hanging.