PRIME Minister Andrew Holness has commended the improved operations of the Jamaica Constabulary Force as the police move to strategically deal with crime in the country.

This, Holness said Friday, is the result of a deliberate policy decision to invest in the equipment, intelligence, training and leadership of the JCF.

He said an operation in Negril, Westmoreland, earlier Friday, where police confronted and shot dead four alleged robbers, is the result of improved intelligence work by the police.

“Just today we got a report of an intelligence-led operation by the security forces which resulted in the interception and the proactive work in derailing other robberies and I think that the operation has been very effective, the persons who were involved, unfortunately, they lost their lives but I am certain that the security forces took all precautions and used the appropriate force,” said Holness.

He said that the security forces took all precautions and used appropriate force.

“We could say that this is a warning to all the criminals that the JCF of today is not the JCF of 10 years ago. The JCF of today is more strategic, it has an enduring force, it is using cyber information and all kinds of intelligence, and putting it all together in an operational plan, in my opinion, is very effective and we are seeing the results,” Holness told the handing over of a house under the New Social Housing Programme in Clarendon.

The prime minister said further that the investment in the JCF and its strategic crime plan is evident.

“There is a visible and tangible change in the operation stance of the JCF but that is as a result of great investments that government has made in the equipment, in the intelligence, again in the operation such as investigations, but more so, and I think, where we are getting the greatest pay off, is the investment in the leadership and training and the development of a very robust law enforcement doctrine in the JCF, which we are seeing the result of.”

In the meantime, Holness also emphasised the critical importance of fostering a robust relationship between the police and citizens to enhance public safety and effectively combat crime.

“What we need to create in Jamaica is a bond between the police and the citizens. The citizens need to realise that the police are here to protect them and we want them to understand that their security is best served by the police force,” he said, pointing out that the key to maintaining peaceful communities is ensuring that there is no space for criminals to operate.

This mutual understanding, said the prime minister, will significantly diminish the opportunities for criminals to exploit community spaces.