Mayor of Montego Bay, Richard Vernon, has welcomed the reduction in murders in St. James for the first half of this year.

Speaking at the St. James Independence Civic Ceremony, Mayor Vernon noted that murders in the division are down by approximately 34%.

He thanked the security forces for making the reduction possible, while noting that the reduction should inspire hope.

Despite the major reduction in murders compared to last year, St. James continues to lead the country with the highest number of murders recorded in a division.