ST JAMES, Jamaica — In a landmark announcement following consecutive years of declining homicide rates, the St James Police Division has established an ambitious new internal objective: reducing annual murders below 50 by 2026. The revelation came from Senior Superintendent Eron Samuels, divisional commander for the parish, during his monthly address to the St James Municipal Corporation on Thursday.
Samuels presented compelling data demonstrating extraordinary progress in crime reduction throughout 2025. The division recorded just 58 murders compared to 125 in 2024—representing a dramatic 54 percent decrease. This achievement surpassed their initial target of maintaining murders below 100 for the year.
“Our team in St James demonstrates unwavering commitment to establishing and meeting progressively ambitious targets,” Samuels stated. “We have now set a personal internal benchmark of fewer than 50 murders, and we are determined to maintain this standard.”
The comprehensive crime statistics revealed improvements across multiple categories. Shooting incidents dropped by 44 percent, with 62 cases reported compared to 111 the previous year. Overall serious crimes decreased by 19 percent division-wide, signaling broad-based improvement in public safety.
While acknowledging ongoing challenges with robbery offenses, particularly within urban areas, Samuels highlighted significant progress through coordinated law enforcement actions. “We have made substantial headway in addressing robbery concerns, with multiple suspects currently in custody and undergoing judicial proceedings,” he explained. Notably, many individuals involved in criminal activities across Jamaica are now detained not only in St James but throughout various divisions.
This coordinated approach yielded particularly impressive results during the recent holiday season, traditionally a period of elevated criminal activity. “The Christmas period recorded remarkably low robbery numbers—an unprecedented achievement for our division,” Samuels emphasized.
The commander extended gratitude to partner agencies whose collaboration contributed to these outcomes. “Our interagency partnerships throughout the year were instrumental in achieving the success we now witness,” he acknowledged, expressing satisfaction with the collective results emerging from these coordinated efforts.