By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A MAN became the 52nd murder victim of the year when he was killed during an argument with another man on Saturday.

According to police, shortly before 2am on Saturday a group of men were in the area of Royal Palm Street, Culmersville when the altercation took place.

A man left the area but returned a short time later with a handgun. The man he shot died on the scene.

The deceased has been identified across social media as Kendrick Clark. He was the first person killed in six days.

The previous murder victim, Noel Cartwright, was shot dead while sitting in his car outside his business on West Bay Street on Sunday, June 17.

That same day, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames called a press conference to announce a series of new crime fighting strategies geared towards the blanket coverage of specific hotspot areas in New Providence.

He referred to the planned enrolment of some 105 new recruits, the roll out of a new crime reporting app, the long-awaited roll out of the Marco's Alert and the incorporation of new crime fighting equipment as a part of the 2018 budget cycle, including an updated fleet of squad cars valued at $6.9m.

Despite a spate of murders, Mr Dames said killings were trending downward.

"We are extremely proud of the progress we are making, but takes you aback whenever people lose their lives, especially persons who were hard at work making ends meet for their families and it is never a good sign," Mr Dames said last week.

Up to this point in 2017, there were 68 murders according to The Tribune's records, representing a decrease of 23 percent.