Opposition Senator Concerned about Rising Crime

Opposition Senator and Shadow Minister on National Security, Peter Bunting says at the current rate the country’s homicide numbers could exceed previous years.

While addressing a recent media briefing at the Opposition leader’s office in St. Andrew; noting 15 murders in 48 hours, Mr. Bunting says the country’s murder rate is shaping up for a new high. He cites the figures from January 1 to October 9 for the year 2021; noting that up to Saturday, October 9, the country has recorded 1, 111 murders, which is a 105 more murders than the corresponding period last year.

The Opposition Senator says the numbers continue to rise since June, and added that at this rate by the end of October the country would have exceeded the total number of murders in any year, between 2011 to 2015.

Just last week, he noted ten people being shot three fatally in Montego Bay in daylight, followed by several other shooting deaths across the country including that of a five-year-old killed in her sleep by a stray bullet during a shoot out by rivalling factions. He insists the recently passed prosecutorial appeal bill, while useful cannot be the solution to crime.

More in this CVM Live story from Neika Lewis: