Jamaica records lowest quarterly murder total in more than 30 years
Key Points(5)
- Jamaica has recorded a 24 per cent decline in murders this year, with 407 homicides reported up to Tuesday, October 6.
- National Security and Peace Minister Dr Horace Chang provided the update during a ministerial statement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
- The 407 homicides recorded so far this year compare with 534 murders during the corresponding period in 2025.
- Chang said the decline was particularly notable during the third quarter, when Jamaica recorded 123 murders between July and September.
- He said this was the lowest quarterly total recorded in more than three decades.
Jamaica has recorded a 24 per cent decline in murders this year, with 407 homicides reported up to Tuesday, October 6.
National Security and Peace Minister Dr Horace Chang provided the update during a ministerial statement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The 407 homicides recorded so far this year compare with 534 murders during the corresponding period in 2025.
Chang said the decline was particularly notable during the third quarter, when Jamaica recorded 123 murders between July and September. He said this was the lowest quarterly total recorded in more than three decades.
September accounted for 36 murders, making it the lowest monthly total in more than 30 years. It was also the fourth month this year in which the country recorded 40 or fewer murders.
“Five of the first nine months of 2026 are among the lowest monthly murder totals recorded in more than three decades. Additionally, the first three quarters of 2026 are the lowest quarterly murder totals recorded over that period,” Chang told Parliament.
Jamaica has recorded a steady decline in murders in recent years, from 1,515 in 2022 to 1,406 in 2023, 1,148 in 2024 and 674 in 2025.
Chang said the latest figures represented a significant shift in the country’s murder rate, noting that 123 murders could previously have been recorded in a single month.
“In May 2024, Jamaica recorded 134 murders. In 2017, the monthly average was 137 murders. Today, 123 murders represent an entire quarter,” he said.
Despite the decline, Chang cautioned against complacency and said the government would continue its efforts to address violent crime.
“While we recognise these gains, we will not become complacent. Our responsibility now is to protect and deepen them,” he said.
Chang said the government had increased the strength of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and invested in personnel, infrastructure, technology, equipment and mobility.
He also highlighted investments in the training and professional development of security personnel through the Caribbean Military Academy, the National Police College of Jamaica and the Caribbean Correctional Academy.
The minister called for greater attention to public order and said police engagement with citizens should be professional, proportionate and respectful.
“Our objective is to improve compliance while reducing unnecessary confrontation. Enforcement must be fair, efficient and transparent. This will allow our police officers to concentrate more of their resources on the most serious threats to life and property,” Chang said.
Chang, who is also deputy prime minister, said violence remained a concern in sections of Jamaican society and called for a broader cultural shift.
“For decades, high levels of murder and violence became tragically normalised in our society. We are now seeing a sustained reversal of that trend,” he said.
He said the government remained committed to its crime-fighting policies despite criticism and commended the leadership and members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, particularly officers working on the front line.
“Their courage, professionalism and sacrifice continue to drive these gains,” Chang said.
