The recent protest by Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) and the counter-demonstration by supporters of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) have blown the dust off the long-standing issue of police and citizen relations in this country.  

The JFJ has decided to shine a spotlight on police shootings in the first quarter of 2025, as they are concerned about likely human rights violations.  

On the other hand, a report from the Office of the Prime Minister on February 11 entitled ‘Significant Decline in Serious Crimes Reflects Improved National Security Measures‘, showed that there was a 21.4 per cent reduction in serious crimes at that point in time. Additionally, in recent weeks, there has been several news reports indicating that the island’s murder rate is significantly lower this period when compared to the same period last year.  

The reduction in serious crimes, especially murder, has been welcomed by many citizens, some of whom were concerned that Jamaica was heading towards a fate like that of our neighbour, Haiti, where gangsters such as “Barbecue” reign terror with impunity in the streets of that country.  

One could even venture to say that this fear was justified as many the gangs in some Jamaican communities control the streets and the corners, and there has even been experiences of the beheading of a mother and daughter by criminals.  Additionally, there have been recent cases where citizens were executed by criminals while they were broadcasting live on TikTok.  What is most frightening in these cases has been the silence of the “human rights” organisations such as JFJ.  

While Jamaicans for Justice has expressed their concerns regarding police killings and the human rights of alleged criminals and gang members, calling for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to implement body-worn cameras for increased accountability, there remains a need for JFJ to equally address the issue of citizens being fatally shot by criminals, some even in public view and shared online.  

It is this level of daring criminality that the members of the JCF must contend with on a regular basis, and it is these images that drives fear into our law-abiding citizens and result in other countries issuing travel advisories against Jamaica.  

Several years ago, Prime Minister Andrew Holness articulated his vision of a Jamaica where citizens could sleep with their windows and doors open.

However, this aspiration can only be realised if the perpetrators of violence are effectively removed from society, thereby enabling law-abiding citizens to conduct their activities without fear.  Therefore, as a nation, we must ask ourselves where we draw the line on criminals and criminality in Jamaica land we love?  

Do we draw a “blue line” at the killing of a 14-year-old girl in a dastardly drive-by shooting in broad daylight? Do we draw a “black line” at the killing of a gang leader and his second who wants to institute their own rules in our communities?  Is the recent demonstration in Half-Way Tree a shout to “give us Barabbas, and nail Jesus to the tree”?

There are those of us who choose to stand on the blue line, because we want what’s best for the black, green and gold of Jamaica, Land We Love.  

We choose Jamaica!

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