St Elizabeth, Jamaica – He is being showered with accolades for leading what’s being described as a highly successful anti-crime fight in this south-central parish.

However, chief of police in St Elizabeth, Superintendent Coleridge Minto insists that he won’t be resting on his laurels. Instead, he says, he and his team will be pushing even harden to ensure safety in communities under his watch during 2025.

“I wish to assure people of this parish that the police will remain focused to ensure law and order…” Minto told councilors and others at last month’s regular meeting of the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation.

His pledge followed applause across the political divide as he rose to report to councillors for the first time this year.

“Big up Mr Minto,” shouted mayor of Black River and chairman of the municipality, Richard Solomon (New Market Division, Jamaica Labour Party) as his colleagues tapped tables in support.

Mayor of Black River and chairman of the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation Councillor Richard Solomon led the applause for Supt Minto.

Police statistics show that major crimes in St Elizabeth declined by 29 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023. Murders – usually seen as the prime indicator for crime levels in Jamaica – fell by 20 per cent, from 40 in 2023 to 32 last year.

The downward trend for crime in St Elizabeth in 2024 largely reflected the situation nationally.

If anything, 2025 has started even better for the St Elizabeth police. The first murder in the parish this year was recorded late last week (early February) – a 20 year-old woman killed at her home in Thornton, a village in the parish’s northern region. Her brother, said to be of unsound mind, has been taken into custody.

Statistics apart, local observers are especially pleased at what’s being seen as increased presence of police on the streets of villages and towns. There is also a perception that Minto is much to the fore and very active in day-to-day police operations on the ground.

Albert Williams, Councillor for the Southfield Division (Jamaica Labour Party – JLP) triggered laughter when he told the meeting that he now felt so “safe” he was going home at 10:00 pm at nights, rather than three hours earlier which was previously the case.

Councillor Albert Williams is pleased with the high visibility of police in St Elizabeth (Photo: Gregory Bennett)

According to Williams, during his eight years as parish councilor, he had consistently agitated for greater presence of the police “on the road”. Now, he claimed, “… I can hardly go on the road without seeing police in some area or other within the Southfield/Junction space…”

And former Mayor of Black River, Everton Fisher (Balaclava Division, People’s National Party) said improved public approval ratings for the police was proving a big help in fighting crime and disorder.

“… the better the police perform the more the community will support them…,” said Fisher.

Minto who took command of the St Elizabeth police in 2023 told the municipal meeting that community engagement had been a cornerstone of police strategies in the parish and would remain so under his watch.

Councillor Everton Fisher says public approval of police work in St Elizabeth assisting anti-crime fight (Photo: Gregory Bennett)

He identified police youth clubs, monthly church services, community walk throughs, community meetings among “the softer side” of policing which would continue this year.

Minto said experience had taught him “that when people in the community want peace then they will make it happen. And we as the police will do all we can to make it happen…”

He also told councilors that “many people have called to express their appreciation for seeing officers on the roads and in their communities”, including during “major” anti-crime operations.

Many such operations were supported by police teams from outside of St Elizabeth as well as members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). Such operations would continue, Minto said.

He applauded those who had sought mediation and conflict resolution services in order to avoid violence. He said that in 2024, a domestic violence and restorative justice centre in Santa Cruz had intervened in 871 cases, an increase of five per cent over the previous year.

This was important, he said, since many violent incidents were the result of disputes over property and other domestic issues.