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Police-community collaboration hailed for crime reduction in Salt Spring, Jamaica
🇯🇲 Jamaica /Crime & Justice

Police-community collaboration hailed for crime reduction in Salt Spring, Jamaica

From Jamaica Observer · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The community of Salt Spring in St. James, Jamaica, has seen a significant reduction in violent crime, with no murders or shootings recorded since the start of 2026.
  • This improvement is attributed to years of sustained collaboration between residents and law enforcement, particularly through initiatives like Project STAR.
  • The Deputy Superintendent of Police credited community development efforts and strengthened relationships between the police and the Salt Spring Community Development Committee for the positive trend.

The community of Salt Spring in St. James, Jamaica, is experiencing a remarkable decline in violent crime, with authorities reporting no murders or shootings since the beginning of 2026. This significant improvement is a testament to years of dedicated collaboration between residents and law enforcement, transforming an area once perceived as unsafe.

We’ve seen a significant reduction in crime recently, a change that many in the community have already noticed.

— DSP Rodrick ReidDescribing the noticeable decline in crime in Salt Spring.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Rodrick Reid, acting operations officer for the St. James Police Division, highlighted these achievements at a recent town hall meeting organized by Project STAR. He noted that while Salt Spring once carried a reputation for fear, that perception is rapidly shifting. In 2025, the community recorded two murders, a number Reid described as "two too many" but still indicative of exceptional progress compared to previous periods.

Salt Spring was once known as an area where people were often afraid to go, but that perception is now shifting.

— DSP Rodrick ReidContrasting the past reputation of the community with its current state.

Reid specifically credited Project STAR's investment in community development and the strengthening of social cohesion by the Salt Spring Community Development Committee (CDC) as key factors. He emphasized the shift from past adversarial relationships to a current partnership between the CDC and the police, working together for the community's benefit. "Today, the CDC members are our partners, and we work together for the benefit of Salt Spring," he stated.

While two murders are still two too many, the progress made in 2025 was exceptional.

— DSP Rodrick ReidAcknowledging the progress made in reducing murders in the previous year.

Project STAR Director Saffrey Brown explained that the initiative focuses on prevention and building trust at the community level, with strengthening relationships between residents and law enforcement being a primary accomplishment. Programs involving sports, peace-building, and social support systems are actively steering youth toward positive pathways. Salt Spring was selected for this five-year social and economic transformation initiative in late 2023, with implementation beginning in 2024.

When partners like these come together, we see the level of success that Salt Spring is currently experiencing.

— DSP Rodrick ReidHighlighting the impact of collaborative efforts.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jamaica Observer in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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