While acknowledging a "worrying trend" on Tuesday, Police Commissioner, Major General Antony Anderson, reported a 3.8 per cent increase in major crimes across the island so far this year, when compared to the corresponding period in 2021.

Speaking at the police's monthly press conference on Tuesday, Anderson said that year-on-year, murders for the period January 1 to September 30, are up by eight per cent.

"Shootings are down by six per cent, rape is down by 12 per cent, break-ins are up by seven per cent, and robberies are up by 17 per cent," he said.

However, the commissioner said when the Police High Command examines the homicide figures, "a worrying trend emerges".

"In the month of September alone, there were 19 incidents of multiple murders — 18 doubles and a triple, amounting to 39 victims," Anderson outlined. 

Overall, there have been 99 incidents of multiple murders recorded nationally, with victims totalling 218.

"We believe that this trend is reflective of the ease at which more and more criminals have been able to acquire guns and ammunition, unlike the police, who are constrained in the use of lethal force," said Anderson. 

He shared, too, that the police's investigations have revealed that multiple individuals were the intended targets of these multiple murder incidents.