THERE was tension in the Upper House on Friday as politics coloured debate on three key pieces of anti-crime legislation.

Government and Opposition members clashed over who, or what, is responsible for the big reduction in major crimes, particularly murders, being recorded so far this year as the shadow of the general election loomed over the debate.

Among those at the epicentre of the clash was Government Senator Charles Sinclair who declared that with the reduction in crime the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has done enough to secure a third term in office.

“It is only a person of poor judgement who would conjure up the thought of swapping Minister [of National Security] Dr Horace Chang for any other person, or swapping the Honourable Prime Minister [Dr Andrew Holness] for anybody on that side — poor judgement,” said Sinclair during his contribution to the debate.

He made the comment after pointing out that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) had achieved a 44 per cent reduction in murders so far this year when compared to last year.

He said this reduction in crime is due to, among other things, $80 billion in investments in the JCF, improved technology, quality leadership provided by the JLP Administration, and improved police facilities.

Sinclair poked fun at Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate Peter Bunting who served as security minister in the last People’s National Party (PNP) Administration, and currently shadows the portfolio.

The Government senator pointed to comments made by Bunting in August 2015 that Jamaica needed divine intervention in the fight against crime and charged that this was a “weak, jelly-back move”.

Bunting hit back during his contribution to the debate, stating that he would take divine intervention any time rather than “seek help from his obeah man uncle”, a statement that was attributed to former security minister in the JLP Administration Robert Montague.

As he has done before, Bunting pointed out that his statement was made in a context where a father had killed his wife and two children before taking his own life. According to Bunting, the police are powerless to prevent these crimes, hence his divine intervention statement.

Bunting then attacked the JLP for its approach to crime between February 2016 and 2024.

“Even without counting any murders this year, by 2024 there had been 12,481 Jamaicans murdered under this two-term JLP Administration. Under this Prime Minister Andrew Holness more Jamaicans have been murdered than [under any other] Administration in the history of this country,” charged Bunting.

“And on the basis of a six-month reduction now, they want us to believe that this is a big success when more Jamaicans have been murdered under your Administration than under any other two-term Administration in the history of Jamaica. That is not success,” he said.

“If we go back to those eight years up to 2023, they averaged annually 1,416 murders — a 25 per cent increase that resulted in 2,300 more lives lost than if the PNP’s average numbers had been maintained,” Bunting continued.

He claimed meaningful reductions in murders were seen last year only after routine states of emergency were discontinued, and repeated his recent claim that it is the JCF and Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake who should get credit for the reduction in murders.

But Government Senator Abka Fitz-Henley charged that Bunting has no credibility to speak on matters of national security.

“I urge the people of Jamaica not to be confused or misled by his pontifications which ring hollow when we recall his track record as a failure when he served as minister of national security,” said Fitz-Henley.

He disputed Bunting’s claim that the country’s highest murder toll was achieved under the current JLP Administration.

Fitz-Henley pointed to the period of 1989-2005, which spanned four PNP Administrations, and charged that more than 13,000 Jamaicans were murdered in that period when Jamaica was declared the murder capital of the world in 2005.

According to Fitz-Henley, “the Opposition should not be allowed to use statistics to attempt to mislead the people of Jamaica”.

Like Sinclair, Fitz-Henley pointed to the investments made by the JLP in the security forces — $80 billion compared to $28 billion during the last term of the PNP.

Fitz-Henley said he supports a strong message being sent to criminals that if you take a life in premeditated fashion you should face the full force of the law.

“Continuity is important. Let us not forget that the same Opposition spokesman who wants to lead the security portfolio now, he went on a platform, his voice cracked, he appeared on the verge of weeping and lamented that the statistics were low and slow despite best efforts of the security forces and the PNP Administration, which he suggested were not enough.

“The choice, my fellow Jamaicans, is clear: the weak leadership offered by Bunting and [Opposition Leader Mark] Golding…or the carefully crafted current strategies and a 44 per cent decline in murders presided over by Dr Andrew Holness and National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang. There is no need to go back to weak leadership,” added Fitz-Henley.

For his part, Opposition Senator Lambert Brown, who underscored his dislike for mandatory sentences, chided the Holness Administration for failing to as yet call the general election constitutionally due this year.

“You may wish to prolong it as long as you want but the longer you go, is the bigger the beating is going to be. The people of Jamaica have written off this Government, have tuned out this Government, and the people of Jamaica are ready to vote out this Government. This Government has been a disappointment to thousands of people, and we know it’s only a matter of weeks before the people decide,” said Brown.

The Senate was debating the Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Act 2025, the Child Care and Protection (Amendment) Act 2025, and the Criminal Justice (Administration) (Amendment) Act 2025.

The Bills were piloted by Leader of Government Business in the Senate Kamina Johnson Smith who explained that the amendments to the Child Care and Protection Act sought to ensure that child perpetrators of murder remain exempt from the longest sentences applied to capital murder.

Johnson Smith further pointed out that if an individual commits an offence and the person was a child at that time, even if they turn 18 at the time of trial it is the penalty applicable to children which will apply.

The second list of amendments concerned the Offences Against the Person Act and provide that if a child is the victim of a murder, it is treated even more seriously by the court, with the addition of more years to be served by the perpetrator.

“This is intended to give voice to the abhorrence which we, as a society, all feel when children are murdered,” Johnson Smith said.

The Senate approved two amendments each to the Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Act 2025 and the Child Care and Protection (Amendment) Act 2025, while there were no amendments to the Criminal Justice (Administration) (Amendment) Act 2025.