‘COLLECTIVE EFFICACY’ AND THE SCIENCE BEHIND JAMAICA’S HISTORIC CRIME REDUCTION
There is a tendency, often grounded in cynicism, to view good news through the lens of chance. When crime declines, it is sometimes dismissed as a momentary dip in the cycle of violence, the fleeting result of luck rather than leadership. But those who work within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and those who understand modern policing know otherwise.
In his most recent column to the members of the Force, Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake provided a very important intellectual intervention: an unapologetic invocation of Collective Efficacy Theory as both a lens for understanding and a blueprint for action.
“Today, as a nation, we are celebrating a more than 36% drop in murders and an almost 18% overall reduction in major crimes across the country so far this year,” Dr Blake announced. These numbers are not a fluke. They are the result of a shared belief system that the JCF is deliberately cultivating—what Dr Blake calls “collective efficacy”.
“Collective efficacy refers to the shared belief among members of a group in their combined ability to achieve goals and bring about positive change,” he explained. The term is drawn from the work of scholars like Albert Bandura and Robert Sampson, who demonstrated that when communities or institutions possess a high level of mutual trust and a willingness to intervene on behalf of the common good, they experience less crime. Dr Blake’s insight was to locate this sociological concept within the operational fabric of the JCF itself.
“It is not about name brand policing nor heroic formations,” he said. “It is about creating a culture where every rank, every unit, and every officer feels responsible for the safety of the public and for the success of the organisation as a whole.” This is not just theory for theory’s sake. The JCF is brimming with officers who are graduates of tertiary institutions, many of whom bring undergraduate and graduate training in criminology, psychology, public policy, and management to bear in their daily work. That intellectual capital is quietly but profoundly reshaping the culture and strategy of policing in Jamaica.
As Dr Blake noted, “While sometimes we may not even be aware that the things we do and how we do the things we do may have some formal theory in psychology, our mastery in executing along the lines of these concepts is evident in our singing from the same hymn sheet.” This is a necessary reminder that sometimes, theory follows practice. The JCF didn’t just read about collective efficacy—they embodied it, and scholars caught up afterward. “The sociologists coined the term, and the criminologists refined it, from observing that police groups working together on one accord have consistently been linked to lower crime rates, improved public trust, and greater internal cohesion within law enforcement agencies,” Commissioner Blake said.
In other words, this isn’t luck. It’s strategy. It’s organisational development. It’s theory-informed practice. And it’s working. Dr Blake also rightly notes that collective efficacy demands more than coordination—it demands culture change. “If we are to achieve collective efficacy, the action of each must be in the interest of all,” he said. This includes a commitment to courteousness and professional conduct from every officer. “There is no room for discourtesy from any of us when dealing with members of the public, as this threatens our collective efficacy,” he explained.
This subtle but critical point connects ethics with efficacy. Behaviour that undermines public trust—no matter how small or isolated—chips away at the very foundation of collective impact. The model Dr Blake is advocating requires both high standards and shared responsibility.
It also requires recognition of context. “I need not remind you of the complexity of the environment in which we operate,” he said. “It is one that is characterised by high crime rates, sometimes hostile public, and community fragmentation.” In such a setting, success is not merely hard-won—it is historic. “April ended with a murder figure of 44, which is lower than February’s figure that we celebrated as the lowest monthly figure in over 25 years.”
So why the persistent urge, in some circles, to explain away this progress as circumstantial? Perhaps because it is easier to deny progress than to reckon with the possibility that transformation is possible. But Dr Blake offers a different narrative, one grounded in evidence, strategy, and leadership. “As we move forward, embracing collective efficacy will remain critical—not only to sustaining the progress we have made but to building the kind of Jamaica we all want to serve: safer, stronger, and more united,” he said.
This is not a Commissioner who stumbled into a good year. This is a leader who understands that policing in the 21st century must be equal parts intelligence, accountability, and inspiration. And the team he leads is proving that when belief is shared and purpose is collective, nothing is beyond reach. Jamaica’s current crime statistics are not a mystery. They are the result of clarity, of theory translated into action, and of action shaped by a shared vision. The question is not whether we’re lucky. The question is whether we’re ready to keep building on the science of our success.
