Jamaica has seen a big discount within the variety of energetic native legal gangs, with police intelligence estimating fewer than 100 gangs now working within the nation.
This represents a considerable lower from the 350 gangs that have been reportedly working regionally in 2016.
“And I’m happy to announce that police intelligence now estimates fewer than 100 gangs are energetic in Jamaica for the reason that starting of the 12 months, coming from a excessive of 350 in 2016,” declared Holness throughout his contribution to the 2025-2026 Price range Debate within the Home of Representatives on Thursday.
“Many (of the gangs) have been dismantled or have gone dormant – they’re laying low – as a result of they know they’re being hunted relentlessly by the safety forces,” Holness stated.
The prime minister’s declaration got here 9 months after then Deputy Commissioner in control of the crime and safety portfolio (now retired from the constabulary), Fitz Bailey, declared that all the island’s “prime gangsters” have been locked away within the nation’s prisons or detention services.
Talking throughout a panel dialogue on the tenth Biennial Diaspora Convention in Montego Bay, St James in June of 2024, Bailey then pointed to statistics which confirmed that in 2018, gang murders accounted for 80 per cent of all murders in Jamaica.
“… That has been lowered to 63 (per cent), so the technique we have now launched into as a regulation enforcement physique is working,” Bailey stated final 12 months.
“By no means within the historical past of Jamaica we have now seen so many gang members – individuals who’re known as influencers of crime – now in jail… All the highest gangsters on this nation are in prisons, behind bars,” declared Bailey.
Fitz Bailey
Quick ahead to 9 months later, Jamaica’s homicide price continues to lower, with Holness telling parliamentarians on Thursday that the nation is on observe to finish 2025 with lower than 1,000 homicides for the primary time since 2003.
In relation to the discount of gangs regionally, Holness stated this was achieved on account of the Authorities’s decisive motion in opposition to organised legal enterprises and violence producers.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness
The prime minister highlighted that the variety of gangs had elevated considerably between 2010 and 2016, from 200 to 350, following a lull in crime and the dismantling of a number of gangs after the 2010 operation in West Kingston for drug lord and reputed Bathe Posse gang chief, Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.
“We recognised the emergency risk organised legal enterprises and violence producers posed to particular communities and the nation typically. We responded with zones of particular operations (ZOSOs) and states of public emergency (SOEs) to halt the persistent spiral in murders from 2015 to 2017,” Holness acknowledged.
He stated the SOEs and ZOSOs led to a 22 per cent discount in murders in 2018, and “a levelling off of homicide charges between 2019 and 2020”, which he argued was proof that each emergency measures have been “profitable in taking again communities from gangs, displacing criminals, disrupting their operations, and limiting their house and alternative to commit crimes.”
The prime minister reiterated the Authorities’s dedication to concentrating on gangs, which he stated account for a big proportion of murders within the nation.
Added Holness on that time: “If we deal with eliminating gangs, we will cut back our homicide price to beneath the regional common of 15 per 100,000.”
Reputed gangsters who met a ‘choose’ or (their) ‘maker’
Holness and Nationwide Safety Minister, Dr Horace Chang, who additionally serves because the Deputy Prime Minister, have been warning native criminals to give up peacefully and never have interaction the safety forces in firefights.
The prime minister, specifically, has pressured that the Jamaica Constabulary Power (JCF) won’t again down from armed confrontations, declaring to such criminals that they may “both meet a choose or (their) maker”.
The JCF has reduce down some main reputed gangsters throughout armed confrontations for the reason that begin of the 12 months, following on from final 12 months.
Othniel ‘Thick Man’ Lobban, a reputed chief of the One Order gang, was fatally shot by police personnel throughout a high-speed chase within the Six Miles space of St Andrew on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
The reputed gangster met his demise on the overhead bridge at Six Miles, which leads onto Washington Boulevard and Spanish City Highway in St Andrew, after a police chase.
In response to studies, police signalled the motive force of a Toyota Rav4 to cease, however the driver ignored the order, prompting a high-speed chase. Throughout the pursuit, the Rav4 crashed right into a Toyota Prado. The Rav4 driver reportedly exited the automobile and opened gunfire on the police. Officers returned the fireplace, fatally wounding the gunman, who was later recognized as Lobban.
The police described Lobban as one of many prime 5 most needed people by the Joint Anti-Gang Activity Power, stressing his function in orchestrating violent actions and organised crime throughout St Catherine, the Company Space and different parishes.
However some residents disagreed with the police, describing Lobban as a group chief who regarded out for his or her welfare by offering cash and meals and even fixing roadways in some communities in Spanish City.
The killing of Lobban sparked widespread unrest in Spanish City, with some residents blocking roadways, lighting fires and clashing with the safety forces hours after his demise.
The next month, regulation enforcers reduce down an alleged member of the Okra Lane gang, Everton Spike, and his brother, Jason, throughout an alleged shootout close to Okra Lane in Spanish City, St Catherine.
Residents and members of the family later disputed that there was any shootout, regardless of the police stating {that a} submachine gun and a .38 revolver have been seized within the incident. The regulation enforcers additionally seized six 9mm rounds of ammunition and one .38 cartridge.
Kinfolk additionally stated each males have been carpenters, and weren’t concerned in wrongdoings.
The Impartial Fee of Investigations (INDECOM) launched probes into each incidents.
On February 19, three alleged male members of the Ants Posse gang have been fatally shot throughout a confrontation with the police in Grange Hill, Westmoreland.
The deceased have been 23-year-old Jervis Smith, 20-year-old Jervan Corridor, and 19-year-old David Brooks.
A press release from the JCF stated then that the Ants Posse gang was linked to severe crimes within the parish.
The police stated a 9mm Taurus G2C pistol and a Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol with {a magazine} containing six 9mm rounds of ammunition have been seized throughout the operation.
Ronald Evans, in any other case known as ‘Richie’, who police described as a high-ranking member of the Clansman gang, was fatally shot by regulation enforcers after he reportedly challenged them in Mollison district in Christiana, Manchester on February 27.
Different reputed gangsters who have been reduce down by the safety forces during the last eight years have been:
- Marlon ‘Duppy Movie’ Perry, who met his demise at a guesthouse in St Thomas in September of 2017.
- Christopher ‘Canine Paw’ Linton, who was gunned down by regulation enforcers who intercepted him in Elletson Flats, St Andrew in October 2021.
- Cornell McKenzie, alias ‘CJ’, and Dennis Francis, alias ‘Steve’, two prime members of the Spanish City-based Clansman gang who have been fatally shot throughout an operation within the previous capital on November 28, 2020.
- Clive ‘Grasping’ Lawson, the reputed chief of the Mount Salem, St James-based gang generally known as the Katon Lane Defence Power (KDF), who was amongst three males killed throughout an alleged shootout with police in Hanover in November 2024.
Christopher ‘Canine Paw’ Linton
‘Met a choose’
In the meantime, three reputed leaders of prime native legal organisations have been amongst those that have been convicted of significant crimes, whereas others have been detained and are awaiting trial.
Among the many prime reputed gangsters are Tesha Miller, the alleged chief of the Clansman gang; Uchence Wilson, the convicted chief of the Uchence Wilson gang; and Andre ‘Blackman’ Bryan, the convicted chief of the ‘One Don’ faction of the Clansman gang.
Miller was sentenced in January 2020 to almost 39 years in jail following his December 2019 conviction for accent earlier than and after the actual fact in reference to the homicide of then Chairman of the Jamaica City Transit Firm (JUTC), Douglas Chambers.
Chambers was shot useless exterior the JUTC head workplace and bus depot in Twickenham Park, Spanish City on June 27, 2008.
Miller is awaiting the result of an attraction of the conviction and sentence.
Nevertheless, Miller’s authorized woes have since soared, as, in March 2024, he and 22 different males have been arrested, charged and indicted below the Legal Justice (Suppression of Legal Organisations) Act (Anti-Gang Laws).
In December of 2020, Uchence Wilson, whose legal outfit of the identical identify netted tons of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} from unlawful actions throughout sections of the island, was sentenced to a complete of 26 years in jail on numerous prices, together with main a legal organisation and taking pictures with intent.
The opposite eight convicted members of Wilson’s gang obtained sentences starting from 4 to eight years in jail.
Bryan was amongst 15 members of the One Don faction of the Clansman gang who have been convicted on numerous prices in March of 2023.
Bryan is serving 39 years and 6 months in jail after being convicted of being the chief of a legal organisation, in addition to facilitating severe crimes, together with the taking pictures of a pair and the torching of their dwelling home with them contained in the construction.
Additionally among the many 15 ‘One Don’ gangsters convicted was a lone feminine, Stephanie ‘Mumma’ Christie. The 48-year-old St Thomas feminine pastor was solely discovered responsible of being a part of a legal organisation, an offence with a most penalty of 20 years.
On the finish of her sentencing on October 2, 2023, Christie was given 9 years and 9 months for her function within the legal community, which included defending Bryan in opposition to any opposition within the gang, and speaking with the police if there was an issue with gangsters, like them being taken into custody.
Notably, the ‘Tesha’ faction and the ‘One Don’ faction of the Clansman gang are arch enemies, the police have acknowledged.
In the meantime, among the many suspected gangsters awaiting trial for numerous offences is 33-year-old Rasheim Brown, alias ‘Shem’, the reputed chief of the Golden Heights gang in West Kingston.
He fled the island to america after being listed as being needed since 2024, however was discovered and deported on January 30, 2025.
The next month, Brown was charged with homicide, two counts of wounding with intent, possession of a prohibited weapon, unauthorised possession of ammunition, and making use of a firearm to commit a felony.
Brown is charged with the killing of 55-year-old Mark McKenzie and the injuring of McKenzie’s 4 and eight-year-old sons, each college students.
Reviews indicated that round 3am on December 6, 2023, McKenzie was at dwelling together with his two sons when a number of males armed with weapons unlocked the door to their one-bedroom house and opened gunfire.
The daddy was hit within the head and different sections of the higher physique, whereas the kids sustained gunshot wounds to their legs.
Police assisted all three to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), the place the daddy was pronounced useless. Docs handled the boys and later transported them to Bustamante Hospital for Kids.
The police on the time stated Brown was the chief of the Golden Heights gang, which is related to the Scream Nook gang and was in direct battle with the Tivoli Gardens’ Younger Technology gang.
In response to the constabulary, Brown was being investigated for different severe crimes, together with breaches of the Anti-Gang Laws.
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