ACKNOWLEDGING gains but warning against complacency, Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake is encouraging his colleagues to do more in 2026 to strengthen their relationship with Jamaicans, insisting that lasting public trust cannot be built without deeper community engagement.

Blake delivered the charge during the Commissioner’s Annual Devotion on Monday, held under the theme ‘Strengthening Our People, Strengthening Our Bonds, Strengthening Jamaica’, as the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) reflected on a year that tested law enforcers but also delivered historic results.

Blake made it clear that, despite recent successes, the JCF cannot afford to ease its focus on how it connects with the public, stressing that trust must be deliberately built and carefully protected if progress is to last.

“This year’s theme — Strengthening Our People, Strengthening Our Bonds, Strengthening Jamaica — speaks directly to who we are and who we must continue to become. It reminds us that national security and peace do not begin with buildings or equipment, but with people. In these moments we remember that trust is not built by force, but through relationships, and that a stronger Jamaica is a natural outcome of a JCF that is unified, professional, and rooted in service,” he said.

Blake argued the force’s recent performance shows what is possible when professionalism and public partnership align, but warned that such gains could be easily reversed if the police lose sight of the importance of everyday engagement with citizens.

He pointed to 2025 as a year of both severe challenges and notable achievements, marked by the disruption caused by Hurricane Melissa, but also by the the record-breaking reduction in serious crimes.

Last year Jamaica recorded 673 murders — the lowest since 1993 when 654 were reported — marking a historic breakthrough in the island’s anticrime fight.

The decline has been attributed by Blake to improved operational effectiveness, internal reforms, and closer collaboration with communities.

However, the commissioner cautioned that crime statistics alone cannot define success, stressing that public confidence is shaped just as much by how cops treat people in routine encounters as by major operations.

“Every professional interaction, every lawful arrest, every act of restraint, every moment of compassion contributes to the wider national social fabric. Strengthening Jamaica means policing with integrity, fairness, and courage. It means standing firm against criminality while remaining anchored in justice and respect for human rights and dignity,” Blake said.

He also urged members of the force to be intentional about listening to and partnering with communities, arguing that trust grows when citizens feel heard and respected.

Additionally, Blake outlined three key priorities for 2026: Investing in the well-being and development of members of the JCF; strengthening bonds within the organisation and with stakeholders; and recognising the police’s broader responsibility to national development.

He said strengthening police personnel is essential to sustaining professionalism on the streets, particularly given the physical, emotional, and psychological demands of policing.

“Policing is demanding work — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. If we are to serve effectively we must invest in our own development, wellness, discipline, and character,” he encouraged.

Blake warned against complacency, telling the men and women under his charge that the work of reform and trust-building must now deepen and spread across all communities, not just selected divisions.

“Let us draw inspiration from the progress already made but let us not become complacent. There is still much work to be done. As we recommit ourselves in this new year let us be guided by faith, strengthened by unity, and motivated by our shared purpose. With God as our refuge and strength, and with one another as partners in service, we can continue to build a safer, more peaceful, and more confident Jamaica,” he encouraged.

He closed by urging members of the JCF to recommit themselves to service and unity in the year ahead, emphasising that the ultimate measure of success will be a police force that Jamaicans trust and feel confident relying on.

“The work we do today shapes the Jamaica for tomorrow. This year calls us to move beyond momentum and into maturity, where strength is sustained, relationships are deepened, and service is elevated,” Blake said.

Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake (centre) is flanked by Ambassador Alison Stone Roofe (left), permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security and Peace; and Reverend Deonie Duncan, assistant force chaplain, at the Commissioner’s Annual Devotion on Monday.