Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared in his New Year’s Day message to the country that a sustained decline in violent crimes across the country is expected in 2023.
Holness noted that a legislative framework will be introduced this year to combat the nation’s crime problem.
“Criminals will begin to understand that we are changing the risk-reward dynamic of crime in Jamaica. The probability of being caught is great, the penalty for crimes is high, and the opportunities and loopholes to escape justice are being closed,” Holness said.
He said changes will be introduced in Parliament in the coming months to increase the penalty for murder to more than 30 years.
He also said the bail process will be streamlined with the passing of a new Bail Act, and shared the introduction of a new corrections bill, a fingerprint bill, and an enhanced security measures bill this year.
Holness noted that the number of murders was reduced in November and December 2022 and sought to give the assurance that the government is steadily building out the legal framework to deal with those perpetuating violence in the country.
In December 2022, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced the reimposition of 14-day states of public emergency (SOEs) in St James, Westmoreland, Hanover, St Ann, Clarendon, St Catherine, and sections of Kingston, and St Andrew.
At a press briefing on December 28, 2022, Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson said the use of states of public emergency (SOEs) has proven to be the most effective way of rapidly reducing violent crimes.
“During the first period of the SOEs declared in November, murders were reduced by as high as 64 percent and increased by as much as 171 percent during the seven-day period when the emergency powers were removed,” Anderson shared.
He also noted that the suite of legislative, operational, and intelligence responses has been critical to the reduction in numbers.
The key legislative tools, according to Anderson, were the provision of emergency powers to the security forces for two 14-day periods in November and December, as well as the new Firearms Act, which went into effect at the beginning of November.
