Green Island killing spree tamed by gang crackdown

Green Island is showing signs of a dramatic turnaround after years of being one of the biggest contributors to Hanover’s murder toll, with only three killings recorded in the community so far this year.

The latest figures put the Hanover community on track for its lowest murder count in three years, a sharp shift from a period when Green Island routinely accounted for a large share of the parish’s homicides.

The change has been driven by a policing strategy that put gangs at the centre of the operation, while officers also stepped up their presence in trouble spots and worked to rebuild relationships with residents.

The strategy was outlined on the latest episode of the Force4Good Podcast by Area One Commander Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Glenford Miller and Hanover police chief, Superintendent Andrew Nish.

Nish said the gang problem became clear when police examined the data behind the killings. The numbers then shaped where and how resources were deployed.

“What was contributing to those incidents was the gangs,” SP Nish explained, “so we put our resources according to our focused deterrence strategies around the gangs.”

The impact can be seen in the changing murder figures.

In 2023, Hanover recorded 72 murders, with 48 occurring in Green Island. The following year, the parish recorded 48 murders, including 24 in Green Island. In 2025, Hanover’s total fell to 22, while Green Island accounted for 12.

So far in 2026, Green Island has recorded just three murders.

“There was a time [in 2023] when the parish recorded 72 murders, Green Island recorded 48; when the parish recorded 48 murders [ in 2024], Green Island recorded 24; in 2025, when the parish recorded 22 murders, 12 of those were in Green Island. So far this year, we only have three incidents of murders in Green Island,” said Nish.

Police have also zeroed in on specific areas they believe require sustained attention.

“Presently in Green Island, there is a particular strip of road that has heightened activities, and we have renamed that strip of road, for our purpose, the Green Island Paradise Corridor, and we have dedicated officers to [deal] with that strip of road,” Nish said.

But the police strategy has not been limited to enforcement.

Nish said officers also reached into schools and communities, with local residents playing a key role in supporting the push to restore order.

“We engaged the schools and all the communities in the Green Island space, and I must say commendations to the station commander, the zone commander, as well as the people of Green Island. They wanted the change; they wanted the police to take charge, and that is exactly what we did,” said Nish.

Miller said the cooperation of residents was critical to the turnaround.

“We have to commend the citizens of Hanover Division because, without the help of the citizens, we can never solve crime. The citizens needed a change. They wanted the change, and we supported them in making that change and now, there’s life again in Green Island,” he said.