Major crimes showed a decrease for July, compared to the same month a year ago, marking the second continuous month of decline in criminal activity in Jamaica.

The figures for July also showed a decline in some major crimes compared with June, the month before, as well as with July last year.

The period corresponds in part to the time when a State of Emergency existed, up to July 23. Police make no claim about the State of Emergency in the figures issued today (August 4) but point out that for July this year, compared to last year, there were dramatic declines in murders, down nearly 50% and shootings were down by more than 60%.

Police say the overall decrease in major crimes for last month was 38%, when compared to July last year.

For each of the last two months, the murder figure fell below 100.

That decline was achieved during the time-span of a limited State of Emergency, coupled with an intensified effort to curb gang activity.

84 people were murdered in Jamaica last month.

That is a near 50% decline, when compared to July last year and an 8% decrease, compared to June this year, when the figures were down sharply.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Glenmore Hinds says murder is not the only category of major crime, showing a major decline.

The murder rates for four of the toughest police divisions across the island declined last month, when compared to the same month last year.

Those divisions are Kingston Western, St. Andrew South, St James and Clarendon.

Murders for St. Andrew South declined by 70%, St. James by 53%, Kingston Western by 50% and Clarendon by 48%.

Meanwhile, police say they removed 53 illegal guns from the nation’s streets last month.

That is 15% more than the number seized in July last year.

Most murders were committed with the gun.

Police say they were used in 55 of the 84 murders committed last month.

Cops are also reporting that they confiscated nearly 11,000 bullets last month.

That is some three times more than the number seized in July last year.