St. Thomas police report sharp crime drops as highway boom reshapes parish security

Leaders of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in St. Thomas say strategic planning and community-centred policing are holding crime down even as new highway links and housing growth rapidly change the eastern parish once widely described as overlooked.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Howard Chambers, who commands Area 5, and Deputy Superintendent Rohan Ritchie, commanding officer for the St. Thomas division, outlined the approach in a recent briefing on policing in the parish. Area 5 recorded a reduction in major crimes during the first quarter of 2026.

Chambers said commanders forecast years ago that infrastructure and commercial expansion would increase demand for officers. St. Thomas has since received new personnel, with high command backing needs-based staffing. Improved road access now places the parish minutes from Kingston, creating risks that itinerant offenders could use the corridors as hideaways. Officers maintain visible presence along the main routes, including the highway out of the parish.

Ritchie said the division has stretched patrols along the arterial road linking Kingston to Morant Bay, a journey he put at roughly 30 to 35 minutes for most drivers. Halfway through 2026, murders are down 13 per cent, shootings 14 per cent, rapes 11 per cent and aggravated assaults 29 per cent. He credited committed staff and strong public cooperation, saying intelligence flows when residents trust the police.

St. Thomas remains largely rural and farming-oriented, with urban pockets such as Morant Bay, Yallahs and Albion. Ritchie said seven murders this year stemmed from domestic disputes. The division has deployed its community safety and security team, run awareness campaigns and worked with party promoters to discourage domestic violence and carrying offensive weapons.

Officers also focus on public order at priority sites including the Morant Bay transport hub and Yallahs, with attention to Bottom Bay Beach and Seaforth after earlier flare-ups. Ritchie said the parish does not have a large gang presence. The force has launched police youth clubs in five primary schools and operates a school safety initiative that escorts students through the transport hub at peak times.

Chambers said P-CEP and other JCF units are supporting St. Thomas while staffing gaps are filled. He urged new residents and businesses to adopt the parish’s culture of peace and to partner with police, noting that citizens often move quickly to report threats to public order.