KINGSTON, Jamaica — A notable decline in major criminal activity is being reported across Jamaica’s St. Thomas parish, with local law enforcement attributing the downward trend to robust, collaborative engagement between residents and police officers working to curb violence. During the April 9 monthly meeting of the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation held in Morant Bay, Deputy Superintendent Rohan Ritchie — the newly installed commanding officer of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) St. Thomas Division — outlined the parish’s latest crime statistics to local leaders.
From January through the early months of 2026, the parish has recorded just three homicide cases, Ritchie confirmed. This figure marks a 40% drop from the five murders reported in the same period last year. When measuring all categories of major offenses across the parish, the overall decline reaches 26% compared to 2025 figures.
Beyond targeting general street crime, the JCF St. Thomas Division is ramping up its crackdown on domestic abuse, rolling out targeted public outreach campaigns to teach community members non-confrontational methods for resolving interpersonal disputes. To broaden the reach of their anti-violence messaging, law enforcement has partnered with local music and event promoters to spread the service’s clear zero-tolerance stance on domestic harm to larger audiences.
“We’ve worked alongside entertainment promoters across the division to amplify our zero-tolerance message around domestic violence, facilitate conversations with people navigating interpersonal conflicts, and make our position clear to the entire community,” Ritchie explained.
To further deter criminal activity, the division has boosted uniformed patrols and permanent presence in the parish capital of Morant Bay. Two key transport hubs in the area are currently serving as pilot sites for a new security initiative aimed at clearing these high-traffic locations of prohibited weapons, unsolicited loitering, and other nuisances that create opportunities for crime.
“These two hubs are our pilot sites for the effort to make them completely secure: free from illegal offensive weapons, free from unregulated loitering, so that local residents can carry out their daily routines without fear,” Ritchie added.
Though Ritchie has only served in his new post in St. Thomas for a short time, he emphasized that the cross-community partnership already forged between residents and police has delivered tangible results. “Citizens are fully invested in this work, and their cooperation is proving invaluable,” he said. Ritchie also publicly acknowledged the ongoing operational and strategic support the JCF has received from the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation as the force works to build a safer, more secure parish for all residents.