KINGSTON, Jamaica — State Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator Abka Fitz-Henley, is hailing the work of the security forces and the Government’s implementation of key elements of Plan Secure Jamaica, which he says have contributed to a 60 per cent reduction in murders since 2017.

Fitz-Henley made the comments while speaking with the media after a function at Jamaica House earlier this week to mark the launch of oversight for the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA).

He noted that following the resumption of an upward spiral in murders in 2015, which continued until 2017, a year that culminated in 1,647 people being murdered in Jamaica, murders plummeted to 673 in 2025, representing a 60 per cent decline.

According to Fitz-Henley, the downward trend in murders has continued this year, with more than eight months having elapsed. He said murders this year have declined by over 20 per cent.

Fitz-Henley said no praise was too high for the men and women of the security forces, who have contributed significantly to the major decline in murders and continue to put their lives on the line daily to protect the Jamaican citizenry.

“The over 20 per cent decline in murders this year is to be welcomed. However, it must also be contemplated in the context of a 60 per cent decline in murders since 2017, which is essentially over the life of the current administration. We inherited an uptick in murders, but Prime Minister [Andrew] Holness and Dr Chang crafted a set of strategic policies that also contributed significantly to bringing murders under some semblance of control. It is no coincidence that, this year, the Global Peace Index named Jamaica the most peaceful country in the Caribbean”, Fitz-Henley said.

He said there was still more progress to be achieved, but a 60 per cent reduction in murders was no small feat and provided a good base from which to push for a society that is largely free from the scourge of violent crime.

“The 60 per cent decline in murders over the two terms of the current administration shows that positive change is possible when strategic policies are implemented. These include investment in the national security apparatus, the reconfiguration of security deployment, strengthening the intelligence capabilities of the security forces, expanding boots on the ground, more expansive border protection and a suite of legislative changes, including harsher sanctions for gun crimes and improvements to the anti-gang legislation,” Fitz-Henley said.

Plan Secure Jamaica is a whole-of-government plan that focuses its efforts on 10 strategic subject areas. It was tabled in Parliament by Prime Minister Andrew Holness shortly after the administration returned to office and was outlined in detail during the prime minister’s 2017/2018 Budget Presentation.

The core subject areas include public order and community safety, justice and judicial processes, crisis response and resilience, anti-corruption measures, territorial integrity and border security, cyberdefence and cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, economic security and environmental security.