Bermuda had a per capita murder rate in 2009 more than five times that of London and higher than that of New York and the global average.

The three gun slayings which took place here in December — taking the total number of murders for 2009 to six — have propelled the Island up the international league table for violent deaths.

Based on an estimated population of 65,000, the killings give Bermuda a murder rate for 2009 of 9.2 per 100,000 people — or about one murder for every 10,833 people.

A United Nations Survey of Crime Trends for 2003-2004 gave the Island a murder rate of just 1.1 per 100,000 population.

Governor Sir Richard Gozney told The Royal Gazette: "I think that the whole of Bermuda is shocked by the murders of 2009; it was a horrendous year for homicides."

Deputy Premier Paula Cox said: "Right now the statistics are less important than the feeling on the ground. For Bermuda and her people, any murder is one too many and a shock to our system in such a closely-knit community."

The 9.2 figure compares to a rate of 1.8 for London, which has a population of 7.2 million and had 130 homicides between November 2008 and November 2009, according to the Metropolitan Police.

The Met includes murder and manslaughter in its homicide figure; Bermuda had no manslaughters during 2009.

In New York, there were 466 murders during 2009. The city has an estimated population of 8.3 million people, giving it a murder rate of about 5.6 per 100,000 people.

Shadow Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley said: "The figures for 2009 are alarming and, if the trend continues, are an increased cause for concern."

Craig Cannonier, from Bermuda Democratic Alliance, said: "The figures speak for themselves. It is a sad day indeed when huge metropolitan centres have a lower per capita murder rate than Bermuda."

Elisabeth Gilgen, from the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development Secretariat, told this newspaper that the global average homicide rate was 7.6 per capita.

The spike in violent deaths here in December, which has continued into 2010 with the gun murder on January 3 of Perry Puckerin, means Bermuda's rate exceeds the global average.

But former Government statistician Cordell Riley explained: "From a statistical point of view, our small size magnifies data when compared to other countries.

"For instance, we have more golf courses per square mile, more churches per square mile, etc. Therefore this has to be taken into consideration when making such comparisons."

Mr. Cordell, managing director of market research firm Profiles of Bermuda, added: "With regard to the homicide rate, it has shot up only because of the three tragic murders in the space of 12 days — something of a rarity for Bermuda.

"Excluding those three murders, the rate would have fallen by half. In small populations, small numbers can cause wide fluctuations. Therefore it would be better to take an average of, say, five years to give a more realistic picture."

The mean average for homicides (murder and manslaughter) here for the last five years is 3.4, giving a per capita rate of 5.2 for the period 2005-2009. The average for the last nine years is 3.3, equating to a rate of five.

Sen. Dunkley said: "This is more in line with other jurisdictions but in my opinion is still too high considering the fact that guns are outlawed.

"At times it takes statistical comparisons to help put things in perspective; however, in this case, I hope there is no one in Bermuda who lacks an appreciation for how serious our current situation is."

Mr. Cannonier said: "Whilst statistics can easily be skewed when in a small jurisdiction like Bermuda and there is an outbreak of violence, we cannot escape from the fact that this kind of statistic can easily change the perception of Bermuda and make it seem far more unsafe than it actually is. It is these kinds of figures that concern visitors, locals and guest workers alike."

Sir Richard said: "If there is any consolation to be had it is, perhaps, that different strands of the Island have come together to discuss, and to act to try to stem this deadly trend.

"I sense widespread recognition of underlying causes. The Bermuda Police are getting stronger support from the community. They also have unequivocal support from Government for extra help, including from off the Island."

Bermuda is still far safer than many other places in the world, including Caribbean countries also battling drug-related gang crime.

The Associated Press reported this week that Jamaica had about 1,660 homicides in 2009, giving it a rate for the year of 61.4 per 100,000 people, based on a population of 2.7 million.

There were about 489 slayings in Trinidad and Tobago, giving it a per capita rate of 36.5, and 82 slayings in the Bahamas, equating to roughly 24.4 homicides per 100,000 people.

The Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez was dubbed the murder capital of the world last October, with an annual murder rate of 133 per 100,000 inhabitants.

A Bermuda Police Service spokesman said: "The BPS will not be commenting on those statistics."

Public Safety Minister David Burch did not respond to a request for comment.