After the November 25 multiple-victim, violent incident in the Waltham Park Road area, I reiterated that such attacks on civilians were acts of terror. The concept of terrorism often conjures images of ideologically driven acts of violence targeting civilians. However, the definition of terrorism remains contested.

Some experts insist that a political or ideological motive is an essential criterion for labelling an attack on civilians as terrorism, while others advocate for a broader interpretation that encompasses social goals or even illicit profit motives. What is indisputable, however, is that terrorism is a tactic employed by organised violent groups to instil fear in a population and provoke a desired response to further their strategic aims.

In the context of Jamaica, the line between terrorism and organised crime blurs, particularly given how Jamaica’s gangs operate. Even under the narrowest definitions, gang-related acts of violence in Jamaica often pursue political objectives, though not necessarily tied to partisan politics. These acts aim to establish dominion over communities, undermine State legitimacy, and impose an alternative system of authority. By carrying out acts of terror, they exert control over residents, intimidate rivals, and weaken confidence in the State’s ability to govern.

The Cherry Tree Lane incident — a harrowing example of gang violence — saw armed men open fire on residents in a community that was home to their rivals. The attack was intended to send a clear message to their adversaries and the surrounding community: they were the dominant force. This type of violence is not random. It is a calculated strategy designed to frighten communities into submission by reinforcing the idea that it is the gang that really “run things.” The intent is to send a clear message that they, the gangs, not the State, hold power.

When communities perceive that the State is absent or incapable of enforcing law and order, they may submit to gang rule for survival. In this way, gangs erode confidence in State institutions and bolster their own legitimacy. This is, at its core, a political act — one that seeks to usurp the State’s role as the primary provider of security and governance.

During the Klansman trial of 2023, it emerged that gang leaders monitored homicide statistics in St Catherine, directing subordinates to escalate killings when rates fell too low. This grim strategy is evidence that there is a calculated attempt on the part of the gangs to maintain a climate of fear, ensuring their grip on local communities.

Criminal terrorism is a regional phenomenon. In countries such as El Salvador, Ecuador, Mexico, and the extreme case of Haiti, criminal organisations regularly terrorise the public and threaten to undermine the State. Recognising such organisations as being existential threats, and not merely lawbreakers, demands a response from governments similar to the global response to terrorism.

Following Nayib Bukele’s 2019 election as El Salvador’s president, his Administration allegedly negotiated a truce with major gangs, offering improved prison conditions and protection from extradition in exchange for reduced violence. However, the truce collapsed when the Government moved to reclaim gang-controlled territory, including a bus park that functioned as a key extortion hub, prompting the MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs to retaliate by killing 83 people over the course of a weekend. This gruesome act led the Bukele Administration to declare the State of Exception, recognising the gangs as terrorist organisations.

Up until 2020, Ecuador’s annual homicide rate was less than 10 per 100,000, and then narco-trafficking cartels established a greater armed presence in the country. By 2023, that rate had shot up to 44.5 per 100,000, and criminal organisations began carrying out brazen attacks on the public. In response to the escalating violence, the Ecuadorian Government announced that the country was in a “state of internal conflict” with the cartels, and fully mobilised its military to neutralise that threat.

Jamaica has had an extraordinarily high murder rate for so long, that being one of the most homicidal countries in the world has become normalised. Our murder rate has been over 40 per 100,000 for the majority of the last two decades due to the proliferation of gangs, though we have sought to blame poverty, or unemployment, or inequality.

While we might be accustomed to it, it is not normal. Though it has been like this for so long, it is still urgent, even if previous administrations did not treat it as such. It is time for the public consciousness to register that business as usual will only result in the same situation repeating itself. Enhanced measures are necessary to counter this threat.

On November 19, 2024, I announced ASPIRE Jamaica, a road map for our nation’s next chapter of development. We have focused on and successfully achieved the necessary economic stabilisation measures over the past decade, something many people here and abroad thought would be impossible. The “S” in ASPIRE stands for “Safety and Security”, which is a core pillar of our strategy, and it requires dealing with the problem of organised armed violence.

We are not starting from scratch: since 2016, this Administration has tripled the annual capital expenditure on the national security apparatus, investing in the capabilities of the security forces to investigate and counter gangs. Strengthening the anti-gang legislation has also allowed us to bring large and complex cases against criminal organisations to court. Moreover, through zones of special operations we have succeeded in displacing gangs from vulnerable communities and building community resilience.

Through those efforts we have gradually reduced the number of gangs operating across the country from 350 in 2016 to around 170 in 2024. Now it is time to pivot to full eradication of the criminal terrorist organisations that plague us.

Other countries have done it, and while we look to them for insights and lessons learned, Jamaica’s measures must and will be tailored to our constitutional framework and societal norms. We must and will restore law and order to gang-ridden communities through increasing the frequency of well-planned, intelligence-driven operations to disrupt gang networks, seize illegal weapons, and arrest key perpetrators. These efforts must and will be conducted with a focus on protecting civilians and minimising harm to communities.

Simultaneously, we will build up those communities through infrastructure works and land use regularisation to render them invulnerable to gang domination and improve economic opportunities and welfare.

Jamaica’s legal and policy frameworks must also evolve to strengthen anti-gang legislation and enhance the capacity of the judiciary to handle complex cases. This will ensure that criminal elements are held accountable and that justice is delivered swiftly and fairly.

The fight against gang-driven terrorism in Jamaica requires a united front. It demands the cooperation of law enforcement, community leaders, civil society, and ordinary citizens. It also requires a shift in how we understand and address the problem. Gang-related violence is not just a criminal issue; it is a political issue that strikes at the heart of our democracy.

By confronting this threat with resolve and compassion, we can dismantle the structures of fear and replace them with hope. Together, we can build a safer, stronger Jamaica where every citizen feels secure and empowered to thrive.

This mission will not be easy, but it is essential. The future of our communities — and indeed, our nation — depends on it.