We can sense from Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’s gleeful statement last weekend that crime is at historic lows that he, like the rest of the country, is anxious to see this stubborn monster defeated and is ready to celebrate any reduction in the numbers.

“My Administration has invested unprecedented levels of funding in the JCF [Jamaica Constabulary Force], averaging $9.7 billion annually. This is three times the amount expended by previous administrations. This was required to restore and upgrade the basic infrastructure to modern, citizen-friendly facilities, upgrade transport, and replace equipment that had been left to deteriorate for decades,” Mr Holness said beaming.

The prime minister’s excitement coincided with the mood among tourism leaders who are reportedly hailing a big drop in crime, as being experienced in the resort areas across police Area One and Two since the beginning of 2025, as against 2024.

Caution, however, suggests that we heed the words of Portland businessman Mr Peter Hall, who has warned against celebrating too soon.

“Now is not the time to take our feet off the gas,” Mr Hall was quoted by The Gleaner newspaper as saying. “We must ensure this is sustainable and not a short-lived victory. We’ve seen what’s possible — now it’s time to act. We have a golden opportunity here, let’s keep it this way.”

Those who have lived long enough have seen the ebb and flow of crime, falling one year only to rise with a vengeance the next. Until there is sustained reduction in crime over a reasonable time period, it is not yet the hour for taking a victory lap.

For, even while the prime minister was declaring that “Jamaica’s historic decline in crime is the direct result of bold leadership, vision, strategic investment, and a relentless commitment to national security,” he was being contradicted by one in his very Administration.

“I don’t care who like when I talk, but I talk the truth… When PNP is in power, violence is held at a level or go down. When [Jamaica] Labour Party in power, violence peaks… do you think that’s a coincidence? No, it is not! It is not… It is an orchestrated thing by them, because without violence being up there, they can’t win.”

Those words of wisdom came from none other than the untouchable Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Western Mr Everald Warmington, who surely must be holder of secrets for everyone in his party leadership.

Learning is not Mr Warmington’s forte, but it is time for his colleagues to help him understand that fighting crime is not about political parties. Over the years, under both major parties, crime has been an immovable scourge. Up to recently an opinion poll said Jamaicans still view crime as the number one issue in the country.

There are still things to fix. Two of the biggest murder cases in recent times — the Adidja “Vybz Kartel” Palmer and the Dantay Brooks, son of Mavado, matters — have been freed, not because they were found not guilty, but because of technicalities related to trial judge errors.

We must hope that such occurrences do not frustrate the hard-working police who could conclude that, as they take someone off the street, the courts cause them to be set free, encouraging them to back down or resort to extrajudicial methods to fight criminals.

Once again, we urge our politicians to find it in themselves to remove partisanship from crime-fighting.