St James murder count rises as police tighten plans for busy summer period

Killings in St. James have climbed ahead of a major late-July calendar period that is expected to draw visitors and lift economic activity across the parish, even as senior officers insist residents should not panic and point to far higher murder totals recorded four years ago.

Figures presented to the St. James Municipal Corporation show interpersonal violence rising parish-wide, pushing the murder tally to 37 so far this year compared with 30 at the same stage in 2025 — seven additional deaths. Officers said the count remains well below the 140-plus killings seen around this time four years ago, while pledging heavier deployment, traffic management and airport-related security as visitors begin arriving about a week before the main event on 30 July. Business owners were urged to cooperate with police and report incidents early.

Portland farmer Kebra McKenzie, 26, also known as Bram, of Buff Bay, faces 11 charges linked to the kidnapping and robbery of a woman in St. Mary on Sunday, 21 June. Port Maria police said that at about 11:30 p.m. the victim was on Cromwell main road when three men in a Toyota Probox, one masked and armed, forced her into the vehicle heading toward Highgate. She was robbed of her cellular phone, $39,000 in cash and bank cards, and made to disclose a PIN before being released along Cromwell Land main road, where she later found $9,000 withdrawn from her account. McKenzie was arrested after CCTV footage showed him using a bank card stolen in another robbery at a Buff Bay supermarket; he later gave a caution statement admitting involvement. Police are still searching for accomplices.

In Manchester, Deputy Superintendent Odin Dennis warned homeowners against renting properties to suspected lottery scammers who sometimes offer up to two years' rent in advance, saying such arrangements can expose landlords and the parish to violent criminal fallout.

Deputy Superintendent Rowan Richie told the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation that the division faces no major crime concerns. The Jamaica Constabulary Force also expressed condolences to the family and colleagues of Constable Shiovani Davyy, 32, of the traffic enforcement division, who died on Friday, 10 June after the vehicle he was driving crashed off Swansea main road in Clarendon at about 5 a.m. and overturned in a ditch.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Christopher Tuftton secured support from about 20 unions and professional associations on Wednesday for the ministry's accountability framework, aimed at improving service delivery, staff welfare and patient-centred care. Nurses Association of Jamaica President Dawn Marie Richards welcomed the consultations as a bold step toward maintaining standard procedures and better outcomes.

Weeks of missed garbage collection have left some Kingston 11 residents near Sandy Gully, including the Waterhouse community, dumping refuse illegally along the 20-kilometre drainage channel that runs toward Kingston Harbour. National Solid Waste Management Authority Executive Director Audley Gordon condemned gully dumping while acknowledging collection delays, and Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby pledged sustained weekly collection efforts.

Science Minister Dr. Andrew Holness will travel to San Diego, California from 11 to 14 July to accept the 2026 Esri President's Award on behalf of Jamaica for leadership in geographic information systems. Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange will oversee government during the Prime Minister's overseas absence until Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Horace Chang returns today.

Education leaders are calling for stronger systems to identify and address school bullying, with Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools President Aniona Jones urging safe reporting channels and National Secondary Students Council President Rajim Nelson stressing physical, mental and emotional support for students.

Following its Chefs Against Cancer cookout on 3 July, the Jamaica Cancer Society is pushing expanded screening access. Executive Director Rashana Reed-Kumson said subsidised mammograms start at $6,500, with further National Health Fund discounts available, and that proceeds are intended to help purchase a faster 3D mammography machine to double daily screening capacity.