The police in the western city of Montego Bay say they are preparing for the expected deportation of a former reputed area leader from the Flanker community in the western parish of St. James, while maintaining that his return will not reverse the significant reduction in violent crime achieved across the area over the past decade.
The issue was raised during a town hall meeting this week as Commissioner of Police Dr. Kevin Blake met with senior officers in Area One to review crime trends, evaluate policing strategies and discuss plans to safeguard recent gains against emerging security threats.
During a meeting earlier this week in Montego Bay, Senior Superintendent Eron Samuels, commander of the St. James Police Division, confirmed that law enforcement is aware the man-who was previously deported from the United States to Jamaica in 2018-is expected to be returned to the island once again.
Although Samuels declined to discuss specific operational plans, he said police have already begun preparing for the deportation and are confident the individual’s return will not undermine years of sustained crime-fighting efforts.
The strategic review was chaired by Assistant Commissioner of Police Glenford Miller, commander of Area One, and included the commanders of the police divisions in the western parishes of St. James, Westmoreland, Hanover and Trelawny .
Figures presented by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) highlight the dramatic decline in murders across Area One. The four divisions recorded 563 murders in 2018-the highest annual total during the review period. By the end of 2025, that number had dropped to 135, representing a 76 percent reduction.
As of July 18, 2026, Area One had recorded 68 murders, comprising 38 in St. James, 15 in Westmoreland, 10 in Hanover and five in Trelawny.
The statistics show that murders climbed from 467 in 2017 to 563 in 2018 before falling sharply to 240 in 2019, a decline of more than 57 percent. Murders increased to 303 in 2020, 352 in 2021 and 413 in 2022 before beginning a sustained downward trend, with 401 murders in 2023, 297 in 2024 and just 135 in 2025.
Addressing officers, Blake praised the transformation in the region’s security landscape.
‘Remember those days? Last year it was 135, coming from 563. That’s some amazing achievement,’ he told the gathering.
He also highlighted the turnaround in St. James, once regarded as one of Jamaica’s most violent police divisions.
‘Last year at this time, we were celebrating because we had, I think, one month with one murder. That is unheard of for St. James,’ Blake said.
Despite the progress, the commissioner urged officers not to become complacent, stressing that the Jamaica Constabulary Force remains committed to driving the country’s murder rate down to levels comparable with regional averages.
Area One has historically experienced some of Jamaica’s highest levels of violent crime, particularly in St. James and Westmoreland. Communities across the region have long been affected by organized criminal networks, including the Stone Crusher, Killer Bees and Flanker gangs in St. James, as well as entrenched gangs operating in Kings Valley, Russia, Logwood, Cacoon, Warsop and Duncans.
Police attribute the sustained decline in murders to intelligence-led operations, targeted anti-gang initiatives and close coordination among the four divisions. They say those strategies will remain in place as they prepare for future security challenges, including the anticipated deportation of the former area leader .