Justice Minister Urges Global Cooperation to Further Lower Jamaica’s Murder Rate

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Delroy Chuck, has called for intensified international cooperation to dismantle transnational criminal networks, as Jamaica works towards reducing its murder rate by 50 per cent in 2026.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the EL PAcCTO 2.0 Strategic Caribbean Focal Points Meeting, held on Wednesday (January 28) at the ROK Hotel in Kingston, Minister Chuck disclosed that Jamaica recorded a nearly 42 per cent reduction in murders last year.

This follows a consistent downward trend, with a nine per cent reduction in 2023 and a 19 per cent reduction in 2024.

Despite the decline, murders committed with illegal firearms continue to lead the tally in Jamaica.

Minister Chuck noted, however, that Jamaica does not manufacture firearms, and that the weapons are instead smuggled into the country through various channels.

“They’re coming in barrels, they’re coming in various crates, coming in refrigerators, they’re coming… on the high seas, under the fish, you know, you put the guns under the fish… coming into Jamaica,” he pointed out.

The Minister maintained that, without illegal firearms entering the country, Jamaica’s murder rate would decline to fewer than 200 annually, significantly easing the burden on the nation’s healthcare and social systems.

Mr. Chuck also identified cocaine trans-shipment, human trafficking, and sophisticated financial scamming as challenges that impact not only Jamaica but also the wider Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and North America.

He argued that the shared intelligence framework facilitated through the EL PAcCTO 2.0 programme is essential to effectively address transnational crimes.

“That is why Jamaica’s security and justice sectors welcome this EL PAcCTO 2.0. These challenges do not respect borders. They demand strong bilateral and multilateral cooperation, enhanced information sharing, coordinated operational responses, and the continued strengthening of national expertise,” the Justice Minister said.

He asserted that, through collaboration with international partners, external criminal actors who collude with local elements to foster disorder and corruption can be neutralised, enabling Jamaica to achieve its 2026 target of reducing murders by more than 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Jamaica, Her Excellency Dr. Erja Askola, concurred with Minister Chuck, noting that organised crime in the Caribbean and Latin America also impacts Europe, as the regions are interconnected through trade, partnerships, and investments.

“Organised crime is a major threat to economic growth, sustainable development and governance, and all of these are within our two common priority areas. A safer Caribbean means stronger trade. It means a better investment environment, and it means more resilient and more prosperous partners for the EU,” she pointed out.

Dr. Askola noted that organised crime is closely linked to the trafficking of drugs, illegal firearms, and other illicit goods that transcend borders and reach European markets, fuelling violent crime, corruption, and money laundering, and placing heavy burdens on social services, law enforcement, and the justice system.

“So a safer Caribbean means also a safer Europe. This is our shared interest and it’s a strategic interest. The earlier upstream we address organised crime and we disrupt transnational crime networks… the more it saves lives, it saves resources, it saves money and time before it ends up on European shores,” the Ambassador said.

She applauded the EL PAcCTO 2.0 programme for providing a platform for dialogue, as well as practical tools, investigative techniques, training, and best practices shared among its partners.

EL PAcCTO 2.0 is an international cooperation programme funded by the European Union, designed to strengthen justice and security institutions and policies against organised crime across Latin America and the Caribbean, while fostering collaborative partnerships with the European Union.