An Examination of White-collar Crimes Committed and Arrest made by the Police in Jamaica, 2015-2023

Abstract

This quantitative research paper analyses the trends of white-collar crime in Jamaica from 2010 to 2022. The study uses official crime statistics and data obtained from the Jamaican Constabulary Force to examine the prevalence of certain types of white-collar crimes committed in the country during the selected period. Of the 393 white-collar crimes committed during the aforementioned period, the majority of the cases were committed by males (52.4%, n=206), in the parishes of St. Elizabeth, Manchester, and Clarendon (26.7%, n=105), with Manchester having the highest figure (16.3%, n=64). The average age of those who committed white-collar crimes in Jamaica for the period was 31.0 years. The findings revealed that no arrests were made by the Jamaican Police of those who committed white-collar crimes in 2015, 2016 and 2017 before 2018. Furthermore, 96 white-collar crimes were committed for the period 2015 to 2018, and there were 74 arrests made, which means that the clear-up rate was 77.1%. For the period 2015 to 2019, there were 164 white-collar crimes committed and 92.1% of them were cleared up by 2019. However, there has also been a significant increase in the police’s capacity to arrest perpetrators. The study findings reveal a significant increase in white-collar crime rates in Jamaica over the period, particularly in areas such as larceny by a servant and larceny by trick.The findings of this study highlight the need for increased efforts to combat it, including increased awareness and prevention measures, as well as more effective law enforcement and prosecution of offenders.