Police Killings In Jamaica: Spiked 163% Since The Start of 2025. Since the beginning of 2025, over 52 Jamaicans have been killed by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). This figure is more than double the 19 police killings recorded during the same period in 2024. This alarming statistic represents an increase of over 163 percent.
Jamaicans from all walks of life are beginning to question Police killings in Jamaica. They are concerned whether they are acting as a ‘hit squad’ involved in extrajudicial killings.
National Security Minister Dr. Horace defended the police.
On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang dismissed concerns about extrajudicial police killings. He asserted that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has become a more intelligence-driven organization. The JCF understands the criminals and “will find them.”
“It’s not a hit squad we have here; that’s a thing of the past,” Chang said Wednesday. “We have a structure that identifies individuals involved in criminal activities and builds profiles around them.”
He compared the new approach to doctors compiling medical files to treat patients.
Chang stated that the JCF’s intelligence capabilities have significantly improved, leading to more targeted operations. “Their intelligence is superior now compared to what it was before.”
On Thursday, Mickel Jackson, the Executive Director of Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), expressed concerns about the 163 percent increase in police killings since the beginning of 2025.
She noted that the more than 50 police killings are part of an alarming trend. This trend undermines Jamaica’s democratic principles. It threatens advancements in human rights.
Jamaicans for Justice raised the alarm about police actions in Jamaica.
JFJ’s warning followed remarks by National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang. He dismissed concerns about police killings in Jamaica. He asserted that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is now a more intelligence-driven organization rather than a hit squad.
JFJ has raised the alarm over the concerning trend of police killings in Jamaica. “If this trend continues, the country could see more than 250 citizens killed by security forces by the end of the year. This number could rival the troubling statistics from the early 2000s. It is also likely to exceed the 258 fatalities recorded in 2013.”
The police Commissioner addressed JFJ’s concerns about the high number of police killings in Jamaica.
On Friday, February 21, 2025, Commissioner of Police Dr. Kevin Blake responded to a declaration by Jamaicans for Justice. The declaration claimed there had been an unacceptable number of police fatal shootings this year.
Commissioner Blake stated that JFJ’s concerns are misdirected. Instead, they should focus on individuals who choose to confront a far superior force.
Dr. Blake acknowledged the high number of fatal shootings and urged JFJ to be more responsible in its public statements.
“To suggest that we can reduce the number of fatal shootings without individuals willing to avoid deadly confrontations is misguided. It is incorrect to believe anything else. Claiming otherwise recommends that we relax our efforts. We want to reiterate that those who seek to kill and harm others will not be allowed to remain free. They will not go unchallenged. Such individuals can’t hold communities hostage. They cannot instill constant fear. We do not apologize for standing between these violent offenders and the people of our country,” he asserted.
Dr. Blake said it is foolish to believe that criminals will engage the Police without receiving a similar response. He emphasized that such a belief is naive.
“Our prisons and police lockups are filled with individuals who made the wise decision to surrender peacefully to the Police. Each year, we witness over a thousand arrests related to firearms. Many of these individuals have had their day in court. In some cases, they have been acquitted of the charges against them. They all survived to see another day. This is because they chose not to use deadly force against our law enforcement officers. Unfortunately, there have been police officers and soldiers who lost their lives or sustained serious injuries during confrontations.”
sorry to say but when a jamaican is afraid to returned home because you may get kill in jamaica. i dont have aney promble as long that they are taking out the gun man that are killing. raping people