St. Thomas recorded 20 murders in 2025, the same as previous year

 

By Kimone Witter  

 

  

The St. Thomas Police say, despite not meeting murder reduction goals for 2025, there was no increase in homicides for the period. 

 

The parish recorded 20 murders last year, the same number in 2024.

 

Superintendent Michael Campbell, Commanding Officer for the St. Thomas Police Division, says the murders were not concentrated in any particular community, but this is still concerning for the police. 

 

"One of the things that we have been trying to do, working with our stakeholders, is to have these kind of stakeholder and community interaction, to get the message across to the citizens how to deal with conflict because a number of the murders are domestic-related," he noted, adding that the crimes have been committed using various weapons including the machete, knife and even a motor car.

 

"You might have heard of the instance in Wheelersfield, for example, where there was a dispute with father-son, and the father was on way to the police and the son drove him down, used the motor car and hit him off his bike, you know. So it is unfortunate that things like these happen. We also have instances where persons who are mentally challenged, attack and kill other persons. So it is all over the parish and as such, we have to be reviewing our strategies," said the commanding officer. 

 

Major crimes in St. Thomas increased by one in 2025, moving to 130 up from 129 in the previous year.

 

Superintendent Campbell said there was a reduction in reported incidents of break-ins, but sexual offences saw an increase. 

 

Still, he noted that a significant percentage of rape, as well as murder and shooting cases were cleared up in 2025.

 

Superintendent Campbell, who was speaking during the monthly meeting of the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation on Thursday, said there have been other wins for the division, including a significant increase in the number of illegal firearms seized.

 

Eighteen weapons were seized last year compared with four in the previous year.

 

The division has recorded one murder for 2026.