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Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Dr. Andrew Holness, is sending a strong warning to criminals. He said they will not be able to hide anywhere in the country.
He promised that the police and army will keep going after gang members, people who bring guns into Jamaica, and those who use them for crimes.
“You have nowhere to hide!” he said. “If you are sending guns into Jamaica, whether you live here or overseas, we will find you.”
Dr. Holness said gangs used to think they were free to do whatever they wanted, but that time is over. He made these remarks while speaking at an awards banquet in Mandeville, held by the Manchester Chamber of Commerce on March 29.
He told business owners that the government has spent a lot of money to improve security. This includes buying better equipment, training police officers, and working with other countries to break up criminal groups.
In the past month, authorities have seized large amounts of illegal weapons and goods at the ports.
“As Prime Minister, I fully support the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF),” he said. “Murders went down by 9% in 2023, 19% in 2024, and this year we are already seeing a 35% drop.” He also said that the number of gangs has fallen from 350 in 2016 to under 100 today.
He said these results came from smart planning and strong action—not just quick fixes.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Carey Duncan, head of the Manchester Division, said the police made progress last year by targeting gangs and lottery scammers. Many criminals were arrested or forced to leave the parish. Police are still looking for those on the run.
So far in 2025, violent crime in Manchester continues to drop. Murders are down 64%, and all major crimes are down 38%.
DSP Duncan said police now solve most crimes. When a crime happens, there’s a 78% chance someone will be caught. This year, police have solved 75% of murder cases in the parish.
At the banquet, Lifetime Achievement awards were given to Mr. and Mrs. Lascelles Johnson of Johnson’s Pharmacy and Mr. Timothy Scarlett of Power Services Limited.
Source: Jamaica GIS.
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