Prime Minister Bruce Golding says although the present crime rate is still too high, the Ministry of National Security has achieved some success for 2008 in preventing an escalation of serious crime, including murders.

"Up to the end of May, the murder rate was running at 18 per cent higher than last year. The measures which were instituted around the middle of the year have begun to work," Golding said in his New Year's Message.

"There has been a noticeable slowdown in the rate of murders and we ended the year three per cent above last year's figure of 1,574 but, thankfully, below the record level of 1,674 recorded in 2005," he added.

Assuring that efforts will continue to fight crime, the prime minister noted areas where the security forces had been strengthened.

"We are going to have to intensify even further the efforts we are making to turn back the tide of criminal activity plaguing the land. We are providing additional vehicles, equipment and other resources to the police; we are

stepping up recruitment; we are increasing our training capacity; we are improving our intelligence capabilities; we are intensifying police operations, and we are improving the court system. We must keep up the pressure for 2009," Golding said.