Conflict shift

The St Andrew Central Police Division in Jamaica is facing a changing crime landscape, with law enforcement officials noting a significant shift away from organized gang violence towards interpersonal and domestic conflicts. Superintendent Mark Harris, the commanding officer for the division, stated that while gang activity has been largely brought under control, murders are now more frequently arising from personal disputes.

Harris explained that these interpersonal conflicts present a more complex policing challenge because they are far less predictable than gang-related violence. He noted this shift during an episode of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Force4Good podcast. "Last year, I had gang issues, [but] this year, we don’t have a gang issue, we have criminals committing crimes, but it’s not associated with gangs... and believe it or not, gang conflict is easier to police than the interpersonal and the domestic issues," Harris said.

Despite this evolving challenge, the St Andrew Central division, which covers major commercial, educational, and transport centers like Half-Way-Tree and New Kingston, achieved the largest reduction in murders across the JCF last year. The division even recorded an entire month without a murder in February. However, the rise in deadly personal and domestic disputes is now the primary concern for the police.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Michael Phipps, commander of Area Four, emphasized the division's critical role in crime management across Kingston and St Andrew. He acknowledged that while police know where gangs operate and can deploy resources accordingly, the unpredictable nature of personal disputes makes them a more difficult challenge to manage proactively.

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Last year, I had gang issues, [but] this year, we don’t have a gang issue, we have criminals committing crimes, but it’s not associated with gangs, like 2024 and part of 2025, and believe it or not, gang conflict is easier to police than the interpersonal and the domestic issues