DESPITE a historic reduction in murders for 2025, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has made it clear that Jamaica’s fight against violence is far from resolved, issuing a direct appeal to criminals to “save” themselves and to desist from crime and deviance.

“Today, I appeal to the criminals and the gunmen, and those who are involved in criminal activities, to save yourselves. Turn away from violence. Put away the gun. In fact, turn it in. Save yourselves,” charged Holness, Wednesday, as he delivered his address at the annual ‘Heal the Family, Heal the Nation’ National Day of Prayer service hosted at Power of Faith Ministries in Portmore, St Catherine.

The service included prayers for parishes impacted by Hurricane Melissa, continued reductions in crime, and peace, unity and blessings for Jamaica.

The prime minister’s admonition came even as he acknowledged the major national milestone of fewer than 700 murders recorded in 2025, a downturn, only observed 31 years ago. He described the achievement as a turning point, but cautioned that sustained effort is required to ensure that the gains are not reversed.

“We are turning now towards a more peaceful society and this is not a one-off. In 2023, we had a seven per cent reduction. In 2024, we had a 19 per cent reduction. Last year, we had a 42 per cent reduction.

“We have always said we want to reach a regional average. A regional average is 15 murders per 100,000 population. We’re almost there. We’re probably about 20, between 20 and 25 per 100,000. We’re almost there. We can get there if everyone in this room, everybody in this room owns it, keeps praying for it. But more than that, keeps working for it,” said Holness addressing both politicians and members of the church.

While much of the reduction has been driven by action taken against organised crime, Holness also noted that other forms of violence remained deeply embedded in Jamaican society; namely domestic disputes and juvenile delinquency, which he said could not be solved by policing only.

On this, Holness pointed to the church as a societal institution to work as a deterrent for juveniles, urging them to move beyond offering prayers and to actively intervene in communities.

“More than 70 per cent of our murders were gang related, but as you address that element of it, there are some other murders which will feature. Persons who have intimate partner violence issues. Man and woman business. That is definitely something that all of us in here at the church can address. Quarrelling over family ‘dead-lef’. These are things, the social violence, that we’re going to need the help of the church, not just in prayers, but in action — through counselling, through guidance, and also by diversion. Because there are many youngsters in communities that could very well be in the church choir as they could be in a gang, and it is only because the gang reached out to them and not the church choir why they are in the gang and not the church choir. So we are going to now need the army of the church to pull in those youngsters and divert them away from the gangs and the criminal activities,” said Holness.

The prime minister also told the congregation of the work that the Government has been doing from the legislative angle to not only tackle organised crime, but lessen those instances of societal failures, which he said, would focus on the realignment of the Jamaican family.

“What is now needed is a more coordinated and concentrated policy that is instrumental and directly targeting and promoting and supporting the family in Jamaica. That’s the next step for this administration. You’re going to see developed far more targeted policies towards the family.

“So we’re not only going to target the youngsters in the community, we’re going to target the ecosystem around that youngster, meaning his family or her family. In education, the same thing. We must get parents far more involved in the education of their children. And the education is not just for the children, it is also education for the parents,” said Holness, arguing that the values shaped in homes often determine the integrity of the child that leaves from it.

The prime minister urged all Jamaicans to play their part in the reduction of criminality, stressing that every life was valuable, and even one lost, was one too many.

“Ninety-five per cent of those who are doing the killings and those who are killed are young men. It pains my heart to see our young men being killed. So I pray for them to stop killing and I pray for them to save themselves,” he said.

From left: Bishop Dr Howard J Grandison, deputy board chairman & pastor at Bog Walk Assembly, Power of Faith Ministries; Fitz Jackson, Member of Parliament for St Catherine Southern representing Opposition Lleader Mark Golding; and Prime Minister Andrew Holness participate in a praise and worship session at the prayer event. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Prime Minister Andrew Holness (left) greets Dr Carlton Russell, president, Jamaica Association of Full Gospel Churches; and Bishop Dr Howard J Grandison (right), deputy board chairman and pastor at Bog Walk Assembly, Power of Faith, at the prayer event Wednesday.  (Photo: Naphtali Junior)