2025 Crime Surge: Jamaica Recorded 34 Murders in 11 Days. After recording minor reductions in violent crimes and murders in 2024, Jamaica started 2025 with a disturbing surge in violence. The country reported 34 murders in just 11 days. This data comes from the latest serious crime statistics released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) on Sunday.
This figure represents a significant increase of eight more murders than the same period last year. After the first 11 days in 2024, the country recorded 26 murders.
Last year concluded with 1,139 murders. This marks a 19 percent decline when compared to the prior year. It offers a glimmer of hope amidst the recent surge.
2025 Crime Surge. From January 1 to 4 this year, the country recorded five murders. But, during the first week, from January 5 to 11, a total of 29 murders were reported.
The JCF has imposed 48-hour curfews across Kingston Western. They have also imposed them in St Andrew Central, St Andrew South, and St Catherine South divisions.
2025 Crime Surge. The latest crime data indicates that 14 out of the 19 police divisions have recorded at least one murder since the start of the year.
St Catherine South and St Andrew South have the most homicides, each recording five cases. Kingston West and St Andrew Central have four homicides each. St Mary has three homicides.; St Andrew South, five; Kingston West, four; St Andrew Central, four; and St Mary, three.
Central Village recorded the first triple in the 2025 crime surge
2025 Crime Surge. On January 8, 2025, the community of Central Village in St Catherine South recorded a triple murder.
The allegations are that at about 9:45 p.m., men armed with high-powered weapons invaded a home in McBride Hill and killed three men.
Law enforcement identified the deceased as Matthew Smith and brothers, 22-year-old Jaheem ‘JJ’ Ferguson and Giovanni ‘Gio’ Ferguson.
Investigators have yet to prove a motive or name any suspects in that barbaric shooting. Investigations are ongoing.
2025 Crime Surge. Still, some police divisions have yet to record a single murder since the start of the year. These divisions are Trelawny, Portland, St Elizabeth, Manchester, and Kingston Central.
Incidents of shootings, injuries, rapes, robberies, and break-ins have all decreased compared to the prior year.