After a major drop in violent crime, Jamaicans should be set to earn something of a “peace dividend” said the island’s Minister of National Security and Peace, Dr. Horace Chang.
The drop was much of the island’s own making, as it was characterized by record numbers of police tips, many of which were submitted without request for posted rewards.
Tips increased by 94% last year while homicides fell 40%. Jamaica is famously violent, and 2024 saw over 1,100 murders. The 2025 total of 673 is the first time since 1993 that total annual murders came in at below 700.
Dr. Chang was addressing the 2026 Sectoral Debate in Parliament, and said that the flood of tips shows that islanders are standing up for their communities, leaving the tip reward money on the table for reasons of “patriotism.”
“This shows that it is not about money. It is about patriotism. It is about trust. It is about citizens taking a stand for their communities. This is something we must celebrate,” said Chang, who is also the deputy prime minister.
“This partnership between citizens and law enforcement is one of the strongest signals that Jamaica is not only becoming safer, but that Jamaicans themselves are leading that change.”
The peace dividend he mentioned will be safer streets, better opportunities for children and businesses, and stronger, intact families.
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According to Chang, a major cause for the decline in homicides has been advancements in port and border control, featuring enhanced cargo screening to ferret out illicit firearms and ammunition.
With a homicide rate of 23 per 100,000 residents, Jamaica has majorly improved from its position as one of the most violent countries in the world, and while it still ranks among the more violent nations of the world, it’s now one of the safer countries in the region—Central and South America and the Caribbean—where national murder rates are the highest anywhere on the planet.
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