Government Senator Keith Duncan has moved to explain why he backed the crimefighting plan of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Administration, revealing that he was sold on the strategy after meeting with National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang and then Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson.

Duncan, who hails from one of Jamaica’s most prominent People’s National Party (PNP) families, but who was named to the Senate by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness following the September 3 General Election, made the revelation in the Senate on Friday.

He was contributing to a debate moved on the motion for adjournment by fellow Government Senator Abka Fitz-Henley on the more than 40 per cent reduction in murders in 2025 when compared to 2024. Fitz-Henley highlighted that for the first time in 30 years, murders will fall below the 700-mark.

Duncan told the Upper House that when he became president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) in 2019, “there was this large hue and cry that we (the Government) don’t have a plan, there’s no crime plan, there’s nothing happening”.

“I could have easily jumped on the bandwagon because the [crime] numbers were all over the place, we were living in fear,” he stated. But, instead of being critical, the private sector leader said he met with Dr Chang “and he pulled out Plan Secure Jamaica for me”.

“And I went and sat with the Commissioner of Police and he pulled out Plan Secure Jamaica for me and all the pillars of Plan Secure Jamaica”.

Duncan shared that he was struck by the various pillars that made up the plan, including social transformation; modernisation and reform of the Jamaica Constabulary Force; reform of the Jamaica Defence Force; and the enactment of legislation. He pointed out that all the key pillars of the plan were outlined, including how it would be resourced both from a monetary and human standpoint.

“I’m happy to say that from 2017 to 2018 until now, the level of reduction in murders, it didn’t just start [overnight], it was a major investment made with all the skepticism that existed and myself, as president of the PSOJ, had to jump behind it because I saw continuity in policy,” said Duncan.

“What I saw was a commitment to policy, to a policy direction and an executable strategy that was occurring. I worked closely with the commissioner of police at the time, Antony Anderson, and we came up with Project Star and that was a public-private partnership, a partnership with the Jamaica Constabulary Force,” he added.

Duncan noted that Project Star has worked well with the Community Safety and Security Branch of the JCF which he said was built out and resourced to be able to do the work in the communities.

“So there was a deliberate and structured effort around social and economic transformation of communities as evidenced by the ZOSOS (Zones of Special Operations),” he said.

Duncan told the Senate that whenever he sees a workable plan that the country can get behind, similar to how the country got behind the need to move towards fiscal responsibility in order to achieve macro-economic stability, he will embrace it.

“If we get behind a plan to secure Jamaica and our citizens…all of us as a country, an all of society approach, we must jump onboard,” he urged.

The newly-minted senator noted that while not everyone will be happy with all the tools in the tool kit, the Government of the day has the responsibility to lead.

“And leadership was provided and that’s why we’re seeing the results today. I believe we’re on a good track and I believe we can sustain it and we can only go lower [with the murder numbers] if as a country, we get behind the government of the day,” he concluded.