Declaring that Jamaica has for too long been “a killing field”, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck on Sunday called on justices of the peace (JPs) to take a more active role in curbing the influence of gang members in some communities.

Chuck also warned against the tendency of some JPs to focus only on profiling rather than delivering effective support within their communities.

Speaking during a service to mark the fourth anniversary of the St Catherine Justices of the Peace Association of Jamaica at New Life Community Church International Worship Centre, Chuck urged JPs to reposition themselves as active agents of change, particularly in addressing crime, supporting vulnerable groups, and strengthening community relationships.

He argued that the role of JPs goes beyond administrative duties and must include direct engagement in promoting peace and social stability.

Chuck took aim at what he described as a troubling culture among some JPs as he cautioned them against superficial approaches to service.

“You have come forward to volunteer and I beg of you, get other JPs to work with you and stop the profiling. Far too many JPs believe that JP means ‘Just Profiling’. Let that acronym JP mean something.”

Chuck argued that meaningful service requires consistent self-assessment and a clear sense of purpose, particularly in communities grappling with violence and social challenges.

“Each day you must ask yourself, what can I do to promote justice, to promote peace? How can you assist with the children, with the elderly, with the vulnerable, to improve their daily well-being?” declared Chuck as he pointed to recent crime statistics which show a decline in murders so far this year compared to the same period last year.

Chuck noted that Jamaica has recorded 143 murders so far this year, down from approximately 203 at the same time last year.

Despite that improvement, he warned that the country continues to face deep-rooted issues linked to gang activity, extortion, and community-level complicity.

He called for a collective effort to dismantle these networks, stressing that everyday Jamaicans, particularly women connected to offenders, have a role to play in rejecting the proceeds of crime.

“Jamaica, unfortunately, for too long has been a killing field. We’re killing more people than in war and there’s no need for it. So, justices of the peace, I beg you, work closely with the mothers, the sisters and the girlfriends. You might not be able to work with those gang members, but it is the mothers, the sisters and the girlfriends who can… avoid benefiting from their extortion, their robbery, their scamming and their illicit activities.

“Tell the mothers, the sisters and girlfriends to tell them that you don’t want anything from them, because when they rob, they will tell you they have to look after the girlfriend, [and] that is how they exercise their power in the community,” Chuck explained.

He further warned that failure to confront organised crime decisively could have serious consequences for national stability, drawing comparisons to countries where gangs wield significant control.

“We want to get rid of all the gangs in Jamaica, because if we don’t do it, every single one, they could flourish like in Haiti, where in Haiti it is the gangs who run the country, and we must never allow any gang to run any community in St Catherine or Jamaica, and I know the police are determined to ensure that gangs stop extorting from bus drivers, bus conductors, those little people on the street who are selling, in the markets, [and] people in Linstead and Bog Walk selling on the roadside,” said Chuck.

Reinforcing that expectation, Chuck urged JPs to take ownership of their role in shaping safer communities.

“You, the justice of the peace, are the best of the best in the parish and you must see yourself as the best, but not by profiling, but by doing good works and assisting your fellow human being,” added Chuck.