Jamaica records continued drop in murders at start of 2026

Jamaica’s national security outlook continues to improve, with the decline in murders recorded in 2025 carrying into the early weeks of the new year.

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Preliminary data for the first 12 days of 2026 show 12 murders reported islandwide, signalling a continued downward trend in violent crime.

“We still want to get it lower, but think about what that trajectory would lead to at the end of the year. Remember, over 1,600 murders — that is where we’re coming from,” said Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon.

She was speaking Wednesday, Jan. 14, at a post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston.

Morris Dixon noted that Jamaica recorded a 31-year low of approximately 673 murders in 2025, calling it a milestone worth recognising.

“As Jamaicans, we need to celebrate this 43% reduction in murders, a 32% reduction in shootings and a 17% reduction in overall crime,” she said.

She added that the Government, working alongside the Jamaica Constabulary Force, remains focused on sustaining the gains achieved in 2025 throughout 2026.

“The security forces have worked so hard, and we have seen the results,” Morris Dixon said.