Prime Minister Andrew Holness says while Jamaica has seen a decline in major crimes, there are still concerns among Jamaicans that crime is still too high.

Holness emphasized the long-standing history of violence in Jamaica, explaining that even with improvements, the public’s perception of safety hasn’t yet reached a level that convinces them of significant progress.

“We don’t argue with the perception of the public, what we try to do is to give information and place things into context. We can understand that if Jamaica is coming from 30-40 years of high murders and high crime and we are already at a very high level, that even though reduction is taking place, it is not at the threshold where the average person believes that the crime and violence situation has improved. So we accept and we understand that,” noted Holness at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, November 6.

He pointed out that although Jamaica’s victimisation rate is similar to regional averages, the country stands out for having disproportionately high murder rates, significant use of firearms in crimes, and an alarming presence of organised gangs.

“Jamaica is an outlier as it relates to murders per 100,000 and it is an outlier as it relates to guns used in murders. Jamaica is an outlier also as it relates to gangs, meaning the organised armed violence—so Jamaica’s gangs are not youths on the corner who are organising to protect their community from outside threats, no. Jamaica’s gangs are organised entities—meaning they act with intelligence. They go to recruit youngsters and they use violence for economic means. So there is an objective that they are about. These are persons that are trying to make money off using crime and particularly violence,” he said.

Additionally, Holness urged Jamaicans to reject the misguided belief that “dons” (gang leaders) are protectors of their communities. “They are criminals who are organising the youngsters in your communities to commit crimes to make money for themselves,” he noted.

The prime minister also raised concerns over the growing threat of multiple fatality shooting incidents, which he believes could undo the progress made in reducing shootings and murders.

“The reason why we are concerned is that the efforts that we are making in reducing shooting and murders could easily be wiped out by just one incident and this is of grave concern to us,” Holness said.

He said more than 70 per cent of homicides are gang-related. To combat this, he said the government is reviewing existing legislation that would improve the ability of law enforcement to apprehend those involved in such violent acts.

Holness made a stern warning to criminals, declaring that they would face justice—either in court or, as he put it, “your maker”. He also reinforced the government’s commitment to incentivizing the public to provide useful information to the police, with an increase in rewards for tips leading to arrests, particularly in cases like the Cherry Tree Lane shooting in Clarendon.

With the festive season approaching, the prime minister emphasized that the police would be particularly vigilant during this period, signalling the government’s commitment to maintaining public safety and addressing crime effectively in the coming months.