News from the OPM

Prime Minister Dr. The Most Honourable Andrew Holness has announced that 2,500 new surveillance cameras will be installed across the island over the next three years as part of a strategic expansion of the JamaicaEye network. Prime Minister Holness made the announcement while speaking today at the official commissioning of the Olympic Way JamaicaEye Control Centre at the Olympic Way Police Station. The Cabinet has approved a strategic master plan for the expansion of the Jamaica Eye network. Over the next three years, we will add 2,500 cameras across Jamaica island-wide. Already 500 of those have been earmarked for Portmore, Old Harbour, and Port Antonio,” Prime Minister Holness stated. The Prime Minister emphasised that the camera installations will form a vital part of a broader, integrated national safety infrastructure. The initiative will improve real-time surveillance capabilities, response coordination, and modern policing effectiveness. “We are building out a national infrastructure of safety. So, for all the people who are quick to retort, where are the cameras? You're going to get cameras until you don't know what to do with them,” he said. The Prime Minister also pushed back against critics, affirming that the Government is focused on tangible, long-term results. “Our…

“It is in the Government’s interest and in your interest that our police officers have body-worn cameras.” - Prime Minister Holness Prime Minister Dr. The Most Honourable Andrew Holness has firmly dismissed public pronouncements and discourse in some quarters suggesting that the Government, through the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), is resisting the use of body-worn cameras for members of the force. Speaking today (May 6) at the Commissioning of the Olympic Way JamaicaEye Control Centre, Prime Minister Holness emphasized that the Government remains fully committed to deploying body-worn cameras. However, the use of the cameras requires first building out the necessary infrastructure and secure ecosystem to support their effective use. “I hear some people talking about cameras and body-worn cameras. The Government knows what it is doing. We are moving with speed and alacrity to have it installed. It is in the Government’s interest and in your interest that our police officers have body-worn cameras, and as fast as possible. We want to have those deployed,” said Prime Minister Holness. The Prime Minister noted that simply acquiring cameras without a secure and functional backend system would be irresponsible. “We don’t want to have cameras that we put on, and then it…

Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling social violence in all its forms. He noted that while significant progress has been made in reducing organized violence, particularly gang related murder and serious crimes, the next term of the government will see intensified efforts to confront the wider culture of violence that permeates many aspects of Jamaican life. Speaking at the East Central St. James Scholarship Awards Function, Prime Minister Holness emphasized that while the government’s security strategy has led to measurable success in lowering murders and other major crime, true peace will only be achieved when violence, beyond crime, is rooted out of the society. “Peace is a central focus of our security strategy. That strategy must ultimately make Jamaica a peaceful country. But addressing murder and crime is only one part of it. There are other elements of peace that we have also been addressing, and areas that require long-term interventions,” said Prime Minister Holness. He acknowledged that while crime remains a priority, violence requires a different kind of response, which is why the government commissioned a comprehensive study to guide national action on the issue. “We empaneled a commission called…

Prime Minister Dr the Most Honourable Andrew Holness says the Government remains resolute in its mission to eradicate absolute poverty in Jamaica, describing it as a deliberate and strategic commitment to ensure no Jamaican is left behind. Addressing the East Central St James Scholarship Awards Function, the Prime Minister emphasized that the Government’s economic philosophy is not built on maintaining poverty but on empowering Jamaicans to rise above it. “Before 2016, all that was preached to the Jamaican people was about poverty, we love the poor, but essentially, the policies were just to keep people poor,” said Prime Minister Holness, “We changed that, not to neglect the poor, but to make a commitment that we can end absolute poverty in Jamaica.” Dr Holness noted that the Government has made a decisive shift toward building a nation that uplifts people and fosters long term economic and social transformation. “We see Jamaica as a country of great potential, a country that can and will,” he said, “That is why we cast our eyes up and remain positive, whatever the challenges we face.” The Prime Minister emphasized that prosperity is not a final destination, but a continuous journey built on steady gains and…

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has highlighted the broader national benefits of Jamaica’s declining crime rate, pointing out the success of the Government’s security strategy. Dr Holness said the strategy is not only about public safety but also about reducing the cost of living and unlocking economic opportunity for all Jamaicans. Speaking on the critical link between security and economic outcomes, the Prime Minister stated: “The issue of security is not just one of public safety. The fact is that insecurity adds to the cost of living that you experience as a citizen.” Prime Minister Holness explained that businesses across Jamaica are often forced to invest heavily in private security, which drives up operational costs that are then passed on to consumers. “Every business operator has to add security as a significant line item. Therefore, with the Government reducing crime and alleviating security concerns to businesses, the cost of living to every Jamaican will also reduce.” The Prime Minister urged Jamaicans not to view crime reduction solely through the lens of community safety, but also as a key driver of national economic growth. “Do not look at the issue of police getting on top of murders and other serious crimes…

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to building a professional and accountable security force as part of a sustainable crime-fighting approach. At the most recent meeting of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister emphasized that the strict enforcement of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Use of Force Policy is a critical element in reducing crime while safeguarding the rights and freedoms of all Jamaicans. The Prime Minister's directive comes as the country continues to record an 18% decline in major crimes. According to the JCF's latest data, murders have decreased by 37%, shootings by 30%, rapes by 47% and robberies by 4% as of April 30, 2025. These outcomes reflect the success of the Government's comprehensive crime reduction strategy, which balances effective enforcement with respect for the rule of law and human rights. Speaking on the role of the JCF in the strategy, Prime Minister Holness stated: “I will be the first to tell you that my administration will never sit by and allow our state forces to act in a way that wantonly abuses the rights of our citizens.” He continued: “We will continue on the path to reduce crime and violence in Jamaica…

The Government of Jamaica is pleased to note that April 2025 was recorded as having the lowest number of murders in a month in a 25-year period, with 44 murders. This achievement follows February's record-setting low of 48 homicides, the fewest in a single month since 2000. Overall, the first quarter of 2025 has seen a 35.9% reduction in murders compared to the same period in 2024. Commissioner of Police Dr. Kevin Blake also highlighted in his weekly Force Orders that this period marks the sixth consecutive quarter of declining murder rates, with the first quarter of 2025 experiencing the most significant drop in major crimes since 2001. Prime Minister Andrew Holness attributes this progress to the work and commitment of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) as well as sustained investments in national security with unprecedented levels of funding to the Force. Speaking on Tuesday (April 29) in his Sectoral Debate presentation in Parliament, Minister of National Security, Dr. Horace Chang, detailed the scope of enforcement efforts since the start of 2025. Minister Chang revealed that the security forces have disrupted 63 gangs, arrested 159 known members, and charged 34 individuals with serious offences including murder, illegal possession of firearms,…

Parliament has approved amendments to the Offences Against the Person, Criminal Justice and Child Care Protection Acts. The legislations, which seek to address the country’s murder rate, reviewed the penalties for persons who commit the heinous offence of murder. The Bills were piloted by the Justice Minister Delroy Chuck and previously went through a joint select committee where a wide cross-section of sectors in the society provided feedback, including the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Office of the Public Defender, the Jamaican Bar Association, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Psychological Society, and the Faculty of Law at the University of the West Indies, as well as civil society stakeholders. Minister Chuck noted that the Government is implementing a comprehensive approach to decisively addressing crime. “While this Government continues to invest in crime prevention, intelligence-driven policing, and social intervention programmes, it is also imperative that the justice system reflects the seriousness of the crimes that continue to undermine public order and confidence in the rule of law.” Among the amendments: Under the amended Offences Against the Person Act for capital murder, the mandatory minimum sentence to be served before being eligible for parole will move from…

We need you! That’s the appeal from Prime Minister Dr. The Most Honourable Andrew Holness to young people who may be involved in or are being recruited into gangs and criminal activity. Speaking at the opening of a state-of-the-art Jamaica Packaging Industry manufacturing facility in Kingston yesterday (April 29), Prime Minister Holness noted that business persons have been complaining that there is a shortage of skilled labour. The country's employment figure is approximately 96.5% of the eligible workforce. Nonetheless, there are still persons who choose not to be in the labour force or are underemployed. Some of these persons are involved in gangs and criminal activity. “Where are some of the Jamaicans that are not in the labour force? Some of them are in gangs. Some of them are involved in criminal activities. The strategy of the government is to make crime an unprofitable endeavour so that our young men and young women who may be attracted by those kinds of endeavours will realize crime does not pay,” said the Prime Minister. Dr. Holness advised youngsters caught up in crime to take advantage of free skills training at HEART, as acquiring a skill and getting a job could save their…