Murders Continue to Decline

The number of murders continues to fall, with 632 homicides recorded as at December 8.

The total is 463 fewer than the comparative period in 2024, representing a 42.5 per cent reduction and placing the country on course to record below 700 murders by year end.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most. Hon. Andrew Holness, provided the latest statistics in the House of Representatives on December 9, while leading debate on motions to extend the Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs) in seven communities across Jamaica.

Dr. Holness also informed that shootings are down 32 per cent.

“These are numbers Jamaica has not seen in over three decades and it is a direct outcome of sustained anti-gang operations, legislative reform, intelligence coordination and the disciplined application of the clear, hold, build strategy within the Zones of Special Operations.

“Let us be clear, gangs thrive where the State retreats. ZOSOs represent the permanent return of the State, security, social services, infrastructure, education, health and opportunity. We are returning the State to communities that were previously abandoned to criminal governance. The Zones do not merely suppress violence, they dismantle the ecosystem that allows gangs to recruit, extort, intimidate and control,” Dr. Holness pointed out.

He noted that even as the country registers historic gains, the Government remains sober about the risks in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, which has created new vulnerabilities, displacement, economic shock, psychological trauma and opportunities for criminal exploitation.

“This is precisely why ZOSOs are more relevant now than ever. They harden communities against regression; they prevent shocks from becoming opportunities for gangs to reassert control. They protect the gains that Jamaicans have sacrificed to achieve,” he stated.

The Prime Minister said that the road ahead requires discipline, endurance and national unity.

“Security is a continuous building exercise and this is why the Government has made and will continue to make major financial and institutional investments in the Zones of Special Operations. These investments have already delivered measurable reductions in serious violent crimes, tangible physical transformation and sustained support for citizens whose lives were once defined by fear,” Dr. Holness said.

He noted that through the clear, hold, build framework enshrined in the law reform legislation, the State clears gangs from spaces, holds that space with reinforced security and then builds lasting social and economic infrastructure.

“This is how we permanently restore meaningful citizenship, dignity and lawful authority. Therefore, we now seek the continued support of this Honourable House to extend all seven existing Zones of Special Operations,” Dr. Holness said.

Data for December 6 show an overall 38 per cent reduction in murders and a 48 per cent reduction in shootings in all Zones.

“This extension will be an affirmation of success and a declaration of resolve. Jamaica has turned a corner, we are no longer managing violence, we are breaking its back and the Zones of Special Operations stand at the very centre of that historic national transformation,” the Prime Minister said.

At the end of the debate, the House approved a further 180-day extension of the Zones in Denham Town, West Kingston; Norwood and Mount Salem, St. James; Greenwich Town, Parade Gardens and August Town in St. Andrew, and Savanna-la-Mar in Westmoreland.