Commissioner Urges Reflection and Responsible Leadership as Crime Falls Sharply
Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake has commended the sustained reduction in violent crime as the year draws to a close, while urging members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to remain reflective, agile and disciplined in their approach to policing.
Commissioner Blake was writing in his latest Commissioner’s Corner published in the weekly Force Orders. Despite the significant gains, the Commissioner cautioned against complacency, stressing that every loss of life remains a matter of serious concern. “We are almost halfway into December and we continue to suppress the murders. With 19 days left in December and the rest of 2025, we are seeing 14 murders so far in December. While this number is relatively low, these are 14 murders that we were not able to prevent, even with our best efforts – and so, it is 14 too many,” said Blake.
The Commissioner emphasised that each violent incident must trigger careful analysis and operational self-assessment within the Force. He said, “Let the occurrence of every single murder be a point of reflection on our strategies, our posture and our operational discipline and focus. We must do this to ensure that we identify and plug whatever gap exists that creates the opportunity of which the perpetrators take advantage.”
Dr Blake underscored the importance of adaptability and resilience as the JCF continues its crime-fighting efforts into the final weeks of the year. “Colleagues, we have to be agile in our strategies and responses, and also relentless in our focus. We have to be resilient,” Dr Blake said.
The Commissioner also highlighted the human dimension of policing, noting that resilience is built through mutual support and strong supervision. “This requires us looking out for each other and providing guidance to those who we lead.”
Dr Blake said these realities bring the discussion squarely to the issue of leadership, which he identified as central to sustaining the progress achieved so far. “This takes me to the area on which I wish for us to dialogue – responsible leadership,” he said.
The Commissioner’s comments come as the JCF continues to pursue its crime-reduction strategy through focused operations, strengthened supervision and an emphasis on professional standards, even as the Force reflects on areas requiring further improvement.
In 2025 Jamaica has recorded a 43 per cent reduction in murders, a 32 per cent reduction in shootings and a 17 per cent reduction in overall major crimes when compared with the same period last year. At this point in 2024, Jamaica had recorded more than 1,100 murders. Current figures indicate that there are now more than 470 fewer murders nationwide.
