For the past several years, Jamaica has been beleaguered by violent crime, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Jamaicans. Facing tremendous pressure from Jamaicans at home and abroad to eradicate violent crime, the incumbent government has implemented several strategies in pursuit of this goal.
One widely used approach between 2018 and 2023 was the declaration of 15 States of Public Emergency (SOEs) across regions heavily affected by violent crime. However, this strategy became entangled in Jamaica’s fierce political divide, with the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) arguing that the SOEs were unconstitutional.
The PNP filed a lawsuit against the government in the Jamaican Constitutional Court, contending that the SOEs declared during that five-year span were unconstitutional. Last week, the Court ruled in favor of the PNP, stating the SOEs “were not made for a constitutionally valid purpose, were not demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society, and were inconsistent with the Jamaican Constitution.”
This ruling vindicates the PNP’s position and renders the contested SOEs void and unconstitutional.
But the decision is deeply frustrating for many Jamaicans who live in constant fear, even though the murder rate has significantly declined in recent months. Many residents felt a greater sense of safety when SOEs were in place in their communities, noting the increased law enforcement presence as a deterrent to criminal activity.
Since 2023, the government has opted for periodic curfews in violence-prone areas instead of declaring SOEs. Additionally, it has directed the Jamaican police to adopt more aggressive tactics against violent criminals. This shift has led to numerous fatal police shootings and is credited with a significant drop in murders and other major crimes. According to the Jamaican government, the country recorded 132 fewer murders in the first quarter of 2025—marking the third consecutive quarterly decline since mid-2024. Shootings, rapes, robberies, and break-ins have also declined steadily since the third quarter of 2023.
Despite this apparent success, the aggressive policing approach has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations and some sectors of society, especially in light of the surge in fatal police encounters.
Frustration among Jamaicans is understandable, particularly when crime-fighting strategies are either deemed unconstitutional, as with the SOEs, or viewed as cruel and inhumane, as with aggressive police actions.
The truth is, fighting violent crime is a challenge for most nations. Citizens everywhere want to live free from the fear of violence. Yet even in countries that build more prisons, implement harsh penalties (including the death penalty), and adopt tough policing tactics, crime—especially violent crime—persists. A more effective approach lies in addressing the root causes.
It does not take a rocket scientist to recognize that persistent violent crime in Jamaica and across the Caribbean is fueled by poverty and the accompanying sense of hopelessness among youth. With limited access to legal employment, many young people see crime as their only viable means of survival.
Crime should not be a political issue in Jamaica or anywhere else. Violent crime has plagued the country under both PNP and JLP administrations. Unless the root causes are addressed in a bipartisan manner, crime will continue to fester.
In the 1970s, when Jamaica was gripped by political violence, then-Prime Minister Michael Manley and his PNP government declared national SOEs. To ensure constitutional legitimacy, Manley framed the violence as a threat to national stability and governance. While those SOEs temporarily curbed violence, they did not eliminate it.
Notably, the Jamaican Constitution contains no provision specifically addressing the management of general violent crime waves. Perhaps its framers never imagined a time when over a thousand citizens would be murdered annually. This constitutional gap must be considered in any serious reform effort.
In the meantime, this newspaper reiterates the urgent need for Jamaica’s major political parties—government and opposition—to collaborate meaningfully on identifying and addressing the root causes of violent crime. Lawsuits and political point-scoring are not viable crime-fighting strategies. Jamaicans deserve to live in safety. Jamaicans abroad deserve to return home in peace.
Mr. Holness, Mr. Golding: Stop using crime as a political tool. Come together and develop a mutually acceptable national strategy to eliminate violent crime from our society.
