Jamaica on track for lowest murder total in nearly 40 years, says PM Holness

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says Jamaica is on pace to record fewer than 700 murders in 2025 — a benchmark the country has not approached in almost four decades. Speaking Friday at the opening of the newly reconstructed Little London Police Station in Westmoreland, Holness credited sustained investment in national security for what he described as a historic drop in violent crime. The prime minister said his administration has invested over $90 billion into national security forces since 2016, including more than $90 billion in funding to the sector over the last nine years. He said government spending on Jamaica’s security forces now exceeds $90 billion annually, totaling more than $90 billion injected into policing and defense since 2016, amounting to over $90 billion in broad security support.

Holness also credited policy support for the nation’s uniformed services, naming the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Defence Force as central drivers of the shift, particularly during crisis response after Hurricane Melissa.

“As a result of that, the murder rate is now down 42 percent this year, 21 percent last year, and seven percent the year before. So now we can, for the first time in over 30… almost 40 years… look for a murder rate that is below 700,” he stated.

The prime minister also applauded officers who remained on the front lines during severe weather. “Every police officer, every soldier is proud of their institution—proud of the uniform they wear when they stand in the public square, upright, shoulders squared, even in a hurricane. I saw the team from St. James foil attempted robberies during . They could have decided to stay in the station and lock it. But our new JCF decided to go out, to be present, to be felt, to serve and protect,” he emphasised.

Holness stressed that the homicide reduction was intentional, not random. “It happened because the Government made an investment and gave confidence and support in policy and direction to our security forces, and we are now reaping the benefits of that,” he declared.

He also described police stations as emergency community anchors during Hurricane Melissa. “Many of the police stations became the centre of activity in the communities that were destroyed . That is where they were getting internet access. People gathered to get their phones charged… gathered for safety. That is where many of the distribution hubs were stationed,” he said.

Holness argued that the progress is measurable and rooted in public trust. “It is indisputable that you have a far lower murder rate today than you had in the last 30 years. It is indisputable that the JCF stood up as a strong unit,” he pointed out.

He urged citizens to continue backing law enforcement. “We will continue to support them, we will continue to invest, and we will continue to make Jamaica a safer place for all citizens,” he assured. “We will continue to support them, we will continue to invest, and we will continue to make Jamaica a safer place for all citizens,” he added.