Five Jamaican communities to benefit from U.S.-funded crime reduction project

Five high-risk communities across Jamaica are set to benefit from a new U.S.-funded initiative aimed at reducing crime and violence while building stronger, more resilient neighborhoods.

The Comm-Unity Resilience and Transformation (CREATE) Project, launched on Thursday, is a US$2 million, two-year effort spearheaded by the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), in partnership with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the U.S. Embassy in Kingston.

Funded through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the CREATE Project will directly engage communities in Parade Gardens (Kingston), Majesty Gardens (St. Andrew), Gregory Park (St. Catherine), Norwood (St. James), and Grange Hill (Westmoreland)—areas that have long grappled with systemic poverty, high crime rates, and social instability.

The project was officially unveiled at The Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston, with remarks delivered by Beatriz Quintero, Senior Program Manager for Peace, Justice & Security at PADF; Amy Tachco, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy; Sheree James, Director of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design at the Ministry of National Security; and Senior Superintendent Dahlia Garrick of the JCF.

The CREATE Project will take a multifaceted approach—focusing on empowering residents, supporting law enforcement collaboration, and addressing the root causes of violence. It is expected to emphasize community leadership, youth engagement, job-readiness training, and safer physical environments through infrastructure improvements and social programs.

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By fostering deeper partnerships between citizens and law enforcement, organizers say the initiative is designed not only to reduce crime, but also to help communities thrive long after the project concludes.