PNP Candidate Bunting has faced criticism for suggesting that the Andrew Holness led Administration created the conditions why the murders spiked

According to the Jamaica Observer, the Opposition spokesman on national security, Senator Peter Bunting, has reprimanded the Government for what he asserts are policies that have resulted in a prolonged increase in murder rates. ““They created the conditions why the murders spiked, they created the conditions why police couldn’t do their jobs,” he remarked during a People’s National Party (PNP) town hall meeting held in Montego Bay on Wednesday evening.

Bunting criticized the Government for its prolonged or extended dependency on states of public emergency (SOEs) as a mechanism for crime control, stating, “There was no reduction in murder anywhere. In fact, there was a 25 per cent increase in the entire Jamaica, year after year,”he said

“Yes, temporarily, in a particular area or community where there was a surge of security forces, you would find a decline — temporarily; but there was something called the balloon effect. So after states of emergency in St James then you found murders going up in Hanover, in Westmoreland, in Trelawny,” Bunting insisted.

Despite Bunting’s assertion, Jamaica is witnessing a significant decline in crime rates, with major offenses notably reduced in recent years, including a considerable decrease in the number of homicides. The country’s homicide rate has been on a downward trend, and Jamaica is poised to record fewer than 1,000 murders in a year for the first time since 2003.

Key factors contributing to the decline:

• Strategic Efforts: The Jamaican government has implemented strategies to dismantle organized criminal gangs and combat gun violence and gang-related activities. 
• Increased Police Presence: Enhanced law enforcement efforts, including mobile police patrols in tourist areas and along transportation routes, are contributing to the decrease in crime. 
• Community Programs: Community programs that address poverty and inequality, alongside initiatives like the Violence Interruption Program (VIP), are also playing a role in reducing violence. 
• Focus on Tourist Safety: Jamaica recognizes the importance of tourism and has implemented measures to ensure the safety of visitors, including specialized tourist police units. 
• Data-Driven Approach: The VIP program uses data to identify potential violence and inform strategies for preventing it, allowing for a more targeted approach. 

Specific Examples:

Two hundred and eighty-five (285) high-definition CCTV cameras are now installed and fully operational in Denham Town, Waltham, and the Downtown Business District. This investment of approximately J$300 million is part of the Ministry of National Security’s JamaicaEye CCTV Expansion Project. The project has led to the creation of a state-of-the-art monitoring hub, providing access to live footage of the policing area, which further enhances rapid response capabilities. This investment underscores the government’s commitment to restoring public order and public safety.

• February 2025 saw the lowest monthly murder rate in 25 years, with 48 murders reported. 
• Major crimes have decreased by 15% between January 2024 and November 4, 2024, according to the Office of the Prime Minister of Jamaica. 
• Murders are down by 19% and 233 fewer lives lost, with shootings also down by 9% and rapes by 28%. 
• In 2024, Jamaica’s homicide rate was 40.1 per 100,000 people, down from 50 per 100,000 in 2016, according to an Instagram post. 
• The 2024 Christmas season was the safest in 20 years. 
• The U.S. Department of State recently updated its travel advisory for Jamaica, lowering the risk level to Level 2, citing a decrease in violent crime since 2024. 

On Wednesday, while addressing supporters of the PNP, he articulated that the government’s inadequacy in supplying sufficient resources to the police force has significantly contributed to the rising murder statistics.

“Vehicles are a force multiplier for the police and by year two there were so few operational vehicles in the police force that the murder rate skyrocketed; it continued for the next eight years,” he said.

“It was so bad that Andrew Holness now has the record of being the prime minister who, in his two terms, more Jamaicans have been murdered than under any other two terms under any other prime minister,” Bunting added.

Nevertheless, this statement is at odds with the facts. The Government is poised to allocate approximately $39.3 billion towards capital projects within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) over the next three years. This investment will encompass the renovation and construction of new, fit-for-purpose facilities, as well as the enhancement of the Force’s mobility and technological capabilities.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness emphasised on the investment which he stated has gone beyond the Jamaica Constabulary Force, where we have strengthened leadership, modernized communications, improved forensic capacity, enhanced investigative capability, and grown the human resource base from nine thousand to fourteen thousand members. We have also expanded the Jamaica Defence Force from five thousand to more than eight thousand members, while strengthening border security with offshore patrol vessels, maritime aircraft, radars, and other strategic assets, he said.

Importantly, we have made major investments in the Jamaica Customs Agency, improving systems, human resources, and technology, and building stronger partnerships with our international allies. The success of this investment is evident. The recent seizure of two hundred and thirty-three illegal weapons, detected through advanced scanning technology, is a clear example of how these investments are protecting lives. These are not small victories. Every illegal weapon we intercept is a life potentially saved, a community protected, and a future secured. This is what it means to do the hard work of building a safer Jamaica. It is not by chance, it is by choice, by strategy, and by sustained investment~ Andrew Holness

“We commend this commissioner and his team who have not wasted time talking about, ‘Give us state of emergency’ but focused on the spear-fishing approach which we have always advocated rather than the net fishing approach which only violates ordinary Jamaicans’ rights,” Bunting said.

He said a PNP Government would use a community-led approach to fight crime.

“Social investment; that is something that we advocated for when we were in office before. This Administration abandoned it completely. We will be returning to that,” he promised.

Nevertheless, In a statement made in 2013, then, National Security Minister Peter Bunting expressed frustration with the ongoing crime problem and suggested the need for “divine intervention”. This statement drew mixed reactions, with some arguing that it sent the wrong signal about his commitment to addressing the issue. Bunting acknowledged the significant efforts being made by the security forces, but also highlighted the slow progress in tackling crime. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) reported on the statement, and Peter Bunting was later replaced as Minister of National Security. 

Bunting admitted that the fight against crime seems to be a futile endeavour in Jamaica.
“I am not embarrassed to say that right now as Minister of National Security, I am going through a kind of a dark night of the soul. “We are trying very hard as a Ministry; I see the men and women of the security forces trying very hard, I see the leadership both of the police and the military working hard and so much effort is being made and yet so little headway, such slow headway is coming out in the statistics” he said, days after the wife of the Governor General, Lady Patricia Allen expressed growing frustration with the level of crime in the country.

Peter Bunting,who was robbed in 2013, holds the dubious title of being the only National Security Minister in the world to fall victim to such a crime, sparking a debate about just how effective his promised security measures would be.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to building a professional and accountable security force as part of a sustainable crime-fighting approach. At the most recent meeting of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister emphasized that the strict enforcement of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Use of Force Policy is a critical element in reducing crime while safeguarding the rights and freedoms of all Jamaicans.

The Prime Minister’s directive comes as the country continues to record an 18% decline in major crimes. According to the JCF’s latest data, murders have decreased by 37%, shootings by 30%, rapes by 47% and robberies by 4% as of April 30, 2025. These outcomes reflect the success of the Government’s comprehensive crime reduction strategy, which balances effective enforcement with respect for the rule of law and human rights.

Speaking on the role of the JCF in the strategy, Prime Minister Holness stated:

“I will be the first to tell you that my administration will never sit by and allow our state forces to act in a way that wantonly abuses the rights of our citizens.”

He continued:

“We will continue on the path to reduce crime and violence in Jamaica by dealing appropriately with those criminals who challenge the state whilst maintaining respect for the human rights of every Jamaican.”