Holness Administration’s Targeted Approach Investments in Security Lead to Fewer Gangs and Safer Communities
“If we focus on eliminating gangs, we can reduce our murder rate to below the regional average of 15 per hundred thousand… Many have been dismantled or have gone dormant. They are laying low because they know they are being hunted relentlessly by the security forces.”
-Prime Minister Holness
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Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says his administration remains committed to dismantling criminal enterprises, citing the government’s strategic investments in security as a driving force behind the decline in gangs and violent crime across Jamaica.
Prime Minister Holness noted that the investments made by his administration in national security are yielding unprecedented results, with police intelligence now confirming that fewer than 100 gangs remain active in Jamaica, down from a peak of 350 in 2016.
Prime Minister Holness said the sharp decline underscores the effectiveness of the Government’s deliberate crime-fighting strategies, which have disrupted and dismantled organized criminal networks across the island.
In his contribution to the 2025/26 budget debate on Thursday (March 20), Prime Minister Holness credited the reduction in gang activity to the Government’s aggressive approach in equipping the security forces, enhancing intelligence capabilities, and enforcing targeted operations.
“We recognized the emergency threat organized criminal enterprises and violence producers posed to specific communities and the country generally. We responded with Zones of Special Operations and States of Public Emergencies to halt the persistent spiral in murders from 2015 to 2017. The SOEs and ZOSOs were successful in taking back communities from gangs, displacing criminals, disrupting their operations, and limiting their space and opportunity to commit crimes,” said Prime Minister Holness.
Since implementing these measures, Jamaica has recorded a sustained decrease in violent crime.
Major crimes, including murders, shootings, rapes, and robberies, have fallen by 21%, while murders specifically have declined by 55% between February 2022 and February 2025. February 2025 also recorded the lowest monthly murder total in 25 years.
The Prime Minister highlighted that these gains are the direct result of sustained investments in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).
In 2015, before his administration took office, national security capital expenditure was $2.67 billion.
By 2019, this had surged to a record $19.5 billion, modernizing the security apparatus with new technology, advanced training, and increased personnel.
“For the first time in the history of the JCF, we have met the establishment strength of 14,000 officers. More police officers, more vehicles, and greater intelligence capabilities mean a more rapid response to threats and citizens’ emergencies,” the Prime Minister stated.
The administration’s crackdown on illicit weapons, which are responsible for fueling gang violence, has also intensified. Dr. Holness noted that enhanced security at ports, new surveillance technology, and increased intelligence sharing have led to major gun seizures, weakening the operational capacity of criminal organizations.
With the number of gangs at its lowest in nearly two decades, Prime Minister Holness remains confident that Jamaica can further reduce its homicide rate to below the regional average.
“If we focus on eliminating gangs, we can reduce our murder rate to below the regional average of 15 per hundred thousand… Many have been dismantled or have gone dormant. They are laying low because they know they are being hunted relentlessly by the security forces,” Dr. Holness emphasized.
Prime Minister Holness reiterated the government’s commitment to achieving a long-term reduction in crime by maintaining focus on intelligence-led policing and dismantling organized criminal enterprises to create a safer Jamaica.