PM Holness Says National Security Investments Make Jamaica Safest in 20 Years

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Administration’s investment in Jamaica’s national security apparatus is yielding positive results, noting that the country is now safer than at any point in the last 20 years.

Making his contribution to the 2025/26 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday (March 20), Dr. Holness said Jamaica is taking decisive actions against violence producers, noting that the results are now evident.

He pointed out that in 2024, Jamaica recorded a 19 per cent reduction in murders, following a seven per cent decline in 2023, “bringing our homicide rate to 40.1 per 100,000”.

“While still high, we are now outperforming some of our regional peers, a stark contrast to 2016 when Jamaica had the highest rate in the Caribbean at 50 per 100,000. Unlike much of the region, where homicide rates are currently surging past ours, we have reversed the trend, and now other countries are studying our approach to reducing violence,” the Prime Minister said.

He noted that the 2024 Christmas season was the safest in 20 years, with just six murders recorded during the holiday week.

Dr. Holness also informed that since 2024, Jamaica has experienced a sustained decline in murders, culminating in 47 recorded in February 2025, the lowest monthly total in 25 years, and a 43 per cent reduction compared to the corresponding period last year.

“If you were to compare between February 2022 and February 2025, murders have declined by 55 per cent,” he indicated.

Additionally, Dr. Holness said, overall, major crimes, including murder, shootings, rape, robbery and break-ins, have declined by 21 per cent, falling to the lowest level since disaggregated data collection commenced in 1999.

“On our current trajectory, Jamaica is on track to record fewer than 1,000 murders in a single year for the first time since 2003. We are confident that this downward trajectory will persist, as these results stem from our deliberate planning, strategic investments and targeted efforts to dismantle organised criminal gangs,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Dr. Holness said the Government acknowledges violence as a national emergency and, as such, has made the strongest sustained investment in national security in Jamaica’s history.

“In 2015, before my Administration took office, capital expenditure for national security was $2.67 billion. By 2018, we increased it to $12.7 billion, and in 2019, we made a record $19.5 billion investment to modernise our security apparatus,” he said.

Dr. Holness pointed out that these funds have strengthened Jamaica’s security forces through investments in equipment, vehicles, intelligence, forensic technology and advanced training in cybercrime, counter-trafficking and financial intelligence.