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The Jamaica Crime Observatory
Data-driven Response to
Crime and Violence
By Kimberley Wilson, Monitoring & Evaluation Analyst, JSIF
For a number of years, Jamaica’s national development efforts includes both infrastructural (construction of mobile posts,
have been stymied by a burgeoning crime rate. There have rehabilitation of police posts) and capacity building initiatives
been worrying trends relating to major crimes such as murders, (conflict and mediation training, etc) aimed at tackling the
shootings and robberies. Consequently, at the national “crime monster”. This support was later buttressed to support
level, a number of entities including the Ministry of National the Jamaica Crime Observatory in 2011 as there was a general
Security (MNS) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) recognition that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and
have employed various strategies such as community-based the Ministry of National Security cannot fight this problem
policing, paramilitary policing among others to curtail the alone, and as such, a multi-sectoral approach was required.
problem. The partnership was developed with various crime sector
partners given their interaction with the victims of violence.
Given its poverty reduction mandate, the Jamaica Social This partnership included the RGD, given its role in the birth
Investment (JSIF) has sought to support the crime reduction identification of the victim. There was also the involvement of
efforts with one of the primary aims being to transform the the Ministry of Health (more specifically the hospitals) to provide
physical environments of what is traditionally touted as a medical ID of the victim and the JCF, Legal Medicine (Forensic
inner-city communities or crime hotspots coupled with the Institute) and Road Safety Unit in light of their varied roles in
associated knowledge increase and behaviour change. The responding and treating the various crimes and/or fatalities.
organization has therefore employed a two-fold strategy which This partnership highlighted that there were a number of gaps
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