If you leave Harbor View intending to reach Morant Point but travel west instead of east, you may eventually arrive, but the journey will take far longer than necessary. The reason is simple: the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. While it is not always easy to take the most direct path, that does not justify wasting time and resources by moving in circles. This analogy applies directly to Jamaica’s approach to crime.
Recently, there has been yet another shake-up within the upper ranks of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). Coincidentally — or perhaps not — this comes at a time when violent crime is increasing across the island, including within the Kingston Metropolitan Area. According to the Jamaica Observer, 11 of the island’s 19 police divisions have recorded more murders than last year. Kingston Central has seen a 100 percent increase, rising from eight murders to 16, while Manchester has experienced a 90 percent increase, from 10 to 19 murders. Islandwide, there have been 675 murders so far this year, four more than the 671 recorded over the same period last year. Other serious crimes — such as shootings and aggravated assault — have also increased. Rape is the only major category showing a decline compared to 2018. There have been 660 reported shootings so far this year, an 11 percent increase over 2018, and 183 cases of aggravated assault, marginally higher than last year’s figure. Meanwhile, 257 rape cases were recorded in the first six months of the year, slightly below the 263 reported during the same period in 2018.
I will return to the Manchester Police Division later, as it is particularly relevant to this discussion. A clear and consistent pattern emerges from these statistics: despite fluctuations, crime in Jamaica continues to rise. It may not increase in a straight upward line, but the overall trend is unmistakable.
As suggested earlier, crime is increasingly out of control, even if its growth is uneven. Over the years, there have been countless police reshuffles, transfers, and changes in leadership — including repeated changes at the level of Commissioner of Police. Ministers of National Security have also come and gone, each becoming another casualty of this seemingly untamable problem.
In this constant reshuffling, many capable public servants have had their careers questioned — not because they lacked ability, but because the country continues to approach crime in fundamentally the wrong way. The police high command has never functioned as a truly cohesive unit. This is largely due to its rigid, top-down structure. Orders are issued from the top and carried out by subordinates who are discouraged from offering independent thought or professional input. Political directives — often developed with little practical policing insight — filter down through this hierarchy. Such an autocratic environment stifles critical thinking and encourages robotic compliance. It also fosters unhealthy competition, internal politics, and careerism, as officers jockey for advancement. In this atmosphere, genuine problem-solving becomes a casualty. This is not to say that capable thinkers do not exist within the gazetted ranks. They do. However, the system is hostile to independent thought and promotes groupthink instead. Officers who know what might work are often powerless to act, constrained by policies they recognize as ineffective. Many parish commanders are competent and dedicated, but they lack both the authority and the resources to implement meaningful solutions.
Manchester is a prime example. The division is led by an excellent commanding officer, Superintendent Wayne Cameron, and there are other commanders across the island doing their best within a flawed system. Despite their efforts, crime in their divisions continues to rise. Jamaica’s approach to crime requires a complete transformation. I have said this repeatedly because it remains true. Our strategy resembles the way the United States approaches healthcare — spending enormous sums on treatment rather than prevention. In much the same way, Jamaica practices “crime care” instead of crime prevention. The current strategy is offender-focused rather than victim-focused. We prioritize the rights and comforts of accused and convicted criminals over the rights of victims and their families. Politicians, so-called experts, and an expanding criminal-rights lobby continuously dictate what law enforcement cannot do, regardless of the brutality of the crimes involved. Suspects must be brought before a judge quickly or released. Even those charged with murder are often granted bail. If trials are delayed, senior officials openly argue for cases — even murder cases — to be dismissed. Once convicted, inmates are allowed extraordinary freedoms, including access to cell phones, the ability to run criminal enterprises from prison, intimidate witnesses, and even continue recording and distributing violent music.
Every consideration is extended to offenders, while victims and surviving families are largely ignored. This emphasis must be reversed. Efforts should instead focus on protecting potential victims through enhanced policing supported by stronger legislation. This includes longer sentences for violent offenders, truth-in-sentencing laws that limit judicial discretion for certain crimes, and better training and pay for police officers to reduce corruption. The INDECOM Act should be repealed or seriously recalibrated to include measures to curtail that agency’s ability to speak out about perceived police excesses instead of investigating them. INDECOM’s resources should be reduced, with the proceeds redirected toward training and equipping the police. Police accountability mechanisms should be restored, staffed by knowledgeable, impartial individuals who understand policing and are free of personal or political agendas. Finally, there must be a sustained public education campaign — using government media such as the JIS — to improve public understanding of laws and civic responsibility. One of the greatest challenges facing the police is widespread ignorance of legal obligations and an increasingly opinionated but ill-informed population. This problem has been ignored for decades, producing generations who do not understand their responsibilities, particularly when interacting with law enforcement. Until Jamaica stops circling the problem and chooses a direct path, crime will continue to outrun us.