SOEs Are Not Used Indiscriminately – Dr. Chang

Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, says the Government has been deliberate in using the States of Public Emergency (SOEs), and that they are not used indiscriminately.

Opening the 2025/26 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (April 29), he noted that they are deployed strategically in exceptional circumstances and are designed to reduce extreme criminal violence.

Dr. Chang, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, pointed out that while there has been much debate about the use of emergency measures, the evidence of their effectiveness is undeniable, as various studies have proved the capacity of SOEs to rapidly reduce killings, suppress violent crime, and restore a sense of order in communities under the siege of violence.

The Minister said a recent empirical study, conducted by econometric and public policy scholars at Florida International University, employed a range of causal models to assess the effectiveness of the SOEs in Jamaica, over both the short and long term.

“The results were compelling. On average, across each police division, there was a 62 per cent reduction in violent crimes following the implementation of the SOE, compared to the same period prior, in the same divisions. This decline was primarily driven by reductions in murders (56 per cent), shootings (58 per cent), aggravated assaults (18 per cent), and robberies (41 per cent),” he stated.

There was also a 62 per cent reduction in Violent Crime (Murder, Shooting, Aggravated Assault, Rape and Robbery) per 1,000 population within a 90-day window surrounding the implementation of the SOE.

“It is these types of evaluations that provide us with reliable and robust causal evidence that Jamaica’s use of SOEs has had a significant and measurable impact on violent crime levels and deterrence,” Dr. Chang said.

He noted that Jamaica is not alone in recognising the necessity of such measures, adding that over the past two years, several Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Ecuador, Honduras and Peru, have implemented SOEs to swiftly curb spiralling homicide rates.

According to a June 2023 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), no fewer than 30 SOEs were declared across the LAC region between April 2020 and April 2023.

“Let me be clear, we have never suggested that SOEs were a ‘silver bullet’ for our crime problem. They are but one set of tools in a broader, multi-pronged strategy designed to restore law and order. That is why we have persisted in implementing a comprehensive policy for national security,” Dr. Chang said.

“This included the expansion and development of the police force, sustainable crime-reduction policies, and the coordinated work of all the relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). We are combining immediate enhanced measures with strategic investments in law-enforcement and social-investment programmes,” he added.

He added that “every step we take is part of a deliberate, well-considered plan – never knee-jerk, always purposeful and focused on achieving clear, measurable results”.

The Minister emphasised that the approach to addressing social disorder and criminal violence has always been guided by a well-calibrated strategic framework.

“This is based on a holistic policy requiring strong enforcement measures in parallel with building and developing the police force, while introducing effective social intervention,” Dr. Chang said.