POINTING out that there was “nearly one arrest for every life lost” last year, Minister of National Security and Peace Dr Horace Chang has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to making life difficult for lawbreakers.

“The ratio of arrests to murders has risen from approximately 44 arrests per 100 murders in 2012 to an extraordinary 99 arrests per 100 murders in 2025,” said Dr Chang as he opened the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

“This is the essence of deterrence, where the certainty of apprehension and incapacitation sends the strongest signal to those who would choose crime,” he added.

Dr Chang told the House that the effects of the Government’s investment in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) — including personnel, upgraded and new infrastructure and vehicles, along with better intelligence-gathering capabilities — have resulted in what he called “a fundamental shift in outcomes”. These results, he said, are being seen for the first time in more than 15 years.

He noted that as a result of these investments, Jamaica recorded 674 murders in 2025, marking the first time in over 32 years that murders have fallen below the 700 mark.

The security minister said Jamaica was on the threshold of achieving another historic low, with the first quarter of the year showing a significant 29 per cent decline in murders compared to the corresponding period in 2025.

“In fact, the last two quarters have been the lowest on record since the police began collecting structured, disaggregated crime data some 25 years ago. Quarter four of 2025 with 153 [murders] and quarter one of this year with 134 [show the downward trend],” said Dr Chang.

Of even greater significance, as highlighted by the security minister who is also the deputy prime minister, is that between 2017 and 2025, just under 3,000 murders were committed.

“That represents an average of 374 Jamaicans each year who are alive today because of these interventions,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the security minister highlighted that shootings and other violent crimes are also down, following the same trend as murders. He expressed the Government’s “sincere gratitude” to the JCF and the country’s international partners who have worked closely with Jamaica over the years.

“They deserve recognition for their invaluable human and technical support. Without these actions and investments Jamaica would have continued on a trajectory that could have made us one of the most unsafe places to live in the world,” Dr Chang said.

“We changed that path. We were always confident that disciplined execution would bring us to a tipping point where results would not only come, but would come with greater speed and impact. This is the result of sustained investment in the police, technology and human capital of the JCF and the wider ministry,” he added.

Dr Chang pointed to two key drivers of this progress, which he listed as the strengthening of intelligence-led policing and case investigation. He also shared that firearm recoveries have reached record levels, with 1,076 weapons seized in 2025 alone.

“The majority of these are pistols, which are the primary weapons used in murder. This demonstrates both the scale of the threat and the precision of our response. In recent times, as firearm recoveries have increased, violence has declined,” said the minister who pointed out that in 2011, on average, about 44 firearms were seized for every 100 murders committed in the country — a ratio of four to 10.

“By 2024 that had risen to 73 firearms for every 100 murders or roughly a ratio of seven to 10. By 2025 we are recovering, on average, three firearms for every two murders being committed. That is a ratio of 15 to 10. This shows clear evidence that enforcement is now getting ahead of violent crime,” said the minister.

Dr Chang remarked that this level of performance signals a major breakthrough, driven by stronger intelligence, better coordination, and a more effective national response.

“With a transformed Jamaica Constabulary Force and deeper collaboration with MOCA [Major Organised Crime & Anti-Corruption Agency], PICA [Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency], and the Jamaica Customs Agency, we are disrupting criminal networks and impairing their ability to operate,” he boasted.

“From these law enforcement efforts we are now approaching a near one-to-one relationship between violent incidents, weapon recovery, and arrest rates. In Jamaica, there is no hiding place for criminals. We will find them! We will incapacitate them! We will arrest and prosecute them! Critically, our intelligence is now outpacing the criminals — and we will continue to strengthen it,” declared Dr Chang.