Letter of the Day | Balanced approach needed for crime reduction

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Crime-fighting in Jamaica is not for the faint of heart. Over the past five years, statistics from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) reveal that our nation has endured approximately 6,216 murders.

People have ample reason to find hope in recent reports that to date there is an over 30 per cent decline in murders this year, compared to the same period in 2024. Acting head of the St James Police Division, Senior Superintendent Carlos Russell, said the parish recorded a 61 per cent decline in murders since the start of 2025, compared to 2024. He said so far this year there has been 16 murders in that parish, compared to 61 for the same period last year.

Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake praised members of JCF for their exceptional work in reducing serious crimes across the island.

We are grateful for the diligence of the police, the additional resources allocated to the security forces, and the prayers and efforts of well-thinking Jamaicans, who long to see an end to this ongoing tragedy.

Yet, as we celebrate this welcome reduction in murders, we must confront another troubling reality, the sharp rise in police-related fatalities. As at March 24, 79 police shooting fatalities have been reported, with 20 of those in March alone.

Concerns about those shootings were eloquently raised by ethicist, Anna Perkins in an essay in Catholic Forum on Ethics posed a series of questions: Are the killings necessary, proportionate, reasonable, and accountable? Why do so many police operations end in fatalities? Is there a role for the use of less-lethal interventions? How do police engagements with citizens maintain and preserve the value of their lives and their right to life? Those are questions that demand national reflection.

Jamaicans for Justice Executive Director Mickel Jackson highlighted that the current fatality figure of 79 marks a 163 per cent increase over the same period in 2024, when the number stood at 30.

This matter is deeply sensitive and often polarising, with some Jamaicans defending the police and urging even more aggressive measures, while others raise alarm about breaches of human rights.

We can have a vigilant, well-equipped, and highly professional police force to tackle crime in this country. A strong, impartial, and lawful policing, but officers must operate within the confines of the law. Oversight bodies, such as INDECOM, play a crucial role in ensuring that the protectors do not become the predators.

I value human lives and lament whenever they are brutally cut short, whether by heartless criminals or by lawless actions from those sworn to serve and protect.

At the heart of any solution to Jamaica’s culture of violence must be a renewed regard for the sacredness of human life, and an unwavering commitment to law and order. We must reject criminal behaviour in all its forms, whether committed by civilians or individuals in uniform.

We pray for our security personnel. Their daily sacrifices and the psychological toll that the job takes on them cannot be overstated, and we hope that mental health resources and working conditions for them are continually improved and expanded.

We hope that holistic interventions – such as community development, youth empowerment programmes, and a police force that is both respected and respectful.

ROY NOTICE

Administrative Bishop

The New Testament

Church of God