By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

POLICE Commissioner Clayton Fernander provided statistics yesterday showing murders are up 27 percent, while armed robberies have declined by 43 percent.

Thirty-eight people have been murdered this year, compared to 30 during the same period last year.

The latest murder happened on Wednesday around 11 pm. Officers found an unresponsive male lying near a fruit stand opposite Montgomery Avenue with an apparent gunshot wound to the head.

Commissioner Fernander did not identify the deceased, but said he appeared to be in his twenties.

“We suspect that he was shot in the vehicle and was thrown from that vehicle after he was shot,” he said.

He added that 69 armed robbery incidents were reported this year, compared to 120 during the same period last year.

“Thus far for the year, we have taken a total of 115 weapons, over 7,000 rounds of ammunition,” he said. “So we are ahead of the game with respect to seizure and arrest.”

“We have a total of 118 arrests with respect to possession of an unlicensed firearm. Out of the 118, 90 persons were put before the court.”

Commissioner Fernander said courts are dealing quickly with firearm cases, but the penalties aren’t stiff enough.

“I always had a problem with the penalty,” he said. “It has to fit the crime. We know that firearm, this is what is driving a lot of the murders, the homicides and even in the armed robberies. You get found with a weapon and I’m looking at 10 to 15 years.”

Commissioner Fernander pointed to other countries within the region where individuals can get 25 years.

“Three years is not enough,” he said.

“I was a victim. I always say that and we sometimes forget about the victims. But you have some victims out there who are hurting, families out there who have lost loved ones and persons are still walking around there. So the penalty has to fit the crime and I will support that till the very end until we fix it.”