Less than 100 gangs now operational locally, says Holness

Jamaica has seen a significant reduction in the number of active local criminal gangs, with police intelligence estimating fewer than 100 gangs now operating in the country.

This represents a substantial decrease from the 350 gangs that were reportedly operating locally in 2016.

"And I am pleased to announce that police intelligence now estimates fewer than 100 gangs are active in Jamaica since the beginning of the year, coming from a high of 350 in 2016," declared Holness during his contribution to the 2025-2026 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday.

"Many (of the gangs) have been dismantled or have gone dormant – they are laying low – because they know they are being hunted relentlessly by the security forces," Holness said.

The prime minister's declaration came nine months after then Deputy Commissioner in charge of the crime and security portfolio (now retired from the constabulary), Fitz Bailey, declared that all of the island's "top gangsters" have been locked away in the country's prisons or detention facilities.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the 10th Biennial Diaspora Conference in Montego Bay, St James in June of 2024, Bailey then pointed to statistics which showed that in 2018, gang murders accounted for 80 per cent of all murders in Jamaica.

"... That has been reduced to 63 (per cent), so the strategy we have embarked on as a law enforcement body is working," Bailey said last year.

"Never in the history of Jamaica we have seen so many gang members - persons who are called influencers of crime - now in prison... All the top gangsters in this country are in prisons, behind bars," declared Bailey.

Fitz Bailey

Fast forward to nine months later, Jamaica's murder rate continues to decrease, with Holness telling parliamentarians on Thursday that the country is on track to end 2025 with less than 1,000 homicides for the first time since 2003.

In relation to the reduction of gangs locally, Holness said this was achieved as a result of the Government's decisive action against organised criminal enterprises and violence producers.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness

The prime minister highlighted that the number of gangs had increased significantly between 2010 and 2016, from 200 to 350, following a lull in crime and the dismantling of several gangs after the 2010 operation in West Kingston for drug lord and reputed Shower Posse gang leader, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.

"We recognised the emergency threat organised criminal enterprises and violence producers posed to specific communities and the country generally. We responded with zones of special operations (ZOSOs) and states of public emergency (SOEs) to halt the persistent spiral in murders from 2015 to 2017," Holness stated.

He said the SOEs and ZOSOs led to a 22 per cent reduction in murders in 2018, and "a levelling off of murder rates between 2019 and 2020", which he argued was proof that both emergency measures were "successful in taking back communities from gangs, displacing criminals, disrupting their operations, and limiting their space and opportunity to commit crimes."

The prime minister reiterated the Government's commitment to targeting gangs, which he said account for a significant percentage of murders in the country.

Added Holness on that point: "If we focus on eliminating gangs, we can reduce our murder rate to below the regional average of 15 per 100,000."

Reputed gangsters who met a 'judge’ or (their) ‘maker'

Holness and National Security Minister, Dr Horace Chang, who also serves as the Deputy Prime Minister, have been warning local criminals to surrender peacefully and not engage the security forces in firefights.

The prime minister, in particular, has stressed that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) will not back down from armed confrontations, declaring to such criminals that they will "either meet a judge or (their) maker".

The JCF has cut down some major reputed gangsters during armed confrontations since the start of the year, following on from last year.

Othniel ‘Thick Man’ Lobban, a reputed leader of the One Order gang, was fatally shot by police personnel during a high-speed chase in the Six Miles area of St Andrew on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.

The reputed gangster met his demise at the overhead bridge at Six Miles, which leads onto Washington Boulevard and Spanish Town Road in St Andrew, after a police chase.

According to reports, police signalled the driver of a Toyota Rav4 to stop, but the driver ignored the order, prompting a high-speed chase. During the pursuit, the Rav4 crashed into a Toyota Prado. The Rav4 driver reportedly exited the vehicle and opened gunfire at the police. Officers returned the fire, fatally wounding the gunman, who was later identified as Lobban.

The police described Lobban as one of the top five most wanted individuals by the Joint Anti-Gang Task Force, stressing his role in orchestrating violent activities and organised crime across St Catherine, the Corporate Area and other parishes.

But some residents disagreed with the police, describing Lobban as a community leader who looked out for their welfare by providing money and food and even fixing roadways in some communities in Spanish Town.

The killing of Lobban sparked widespread unrest in Spanish Town, with some residents blocking roadways, lighting fires and clashing with the security forces hours after his demise.

The following month, law enforcers cut down an alleged member of the Okra Lane gang, Everton Spike, and his brother, Jason, during an alleged shootout near Okra Lane in Spanish Town, St Catherine.

Residents and family members later disputed that there was any shootout, despite the police stating that a submachine gun and a .38 revolver were seized in the incident. The law enforcers also seized six 9mm rounds of ammunition and one .38 cartridge.

Relatives also said both men were carpenters, and were not involved in wrongdoings.

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) launched probes into both incidents.

On February 19, three alleged male members of the Ants Posse gang were fatally shot during a confrontation with the police in Grange Hill, Westmoreland.

The deceased were 23-year-old Jervis Smith, 20-year-old Jervan Hall, and 19-year-old David Brooks.

A statement from the JCF said then that the Ants Posse gang was linked to serious crimes in the parish.

The police said a 9mm Taurus G2C pistol and a Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol with a magazine containing six 9mm rounds of ammunition were seized during the operation.

Ronald Evans, otherwise called 'Richie', who police described as a high-ranking member of the Clansman gang, was fatally shot by law enforcers after he reportedly challenged them in Mollison district in Christiana, Manchester on February 27.

Other reputed gangsters who were cut down by the security forces over the last eight years were:

• Marlon 'Duppy Film' Perry, who met his demise at a guesthouse in St Thomas in September of 2017.
• Christopher 'Dog Paw' Linton, who was gunned down by law enforcers who intercepted him in Elletson Flats, St Andrew in October 2021.
• Cornell McKenzie, alias 'CJ', and Dennis Francis, alias 'Steve', two top members of the Spanish Town-based Clansman gang who were fatally shot during an operation in the old capital on November 28, 2020.
• Clive 'Greedy' Lawson, the reputed leader of the Mount Salem, St James-based gang known as the Katon Lane Defence Force (KDF), who was among three men killed during an alleged shootout with police in Hanover in November 2024.

Christopher 'Dog Paw' Linton

'Met a judge'

Meanwhile, three reputed leaders of top local criminal organisations have been among those who have been convicted of serious crimes, while others have been detained and are awaiting trial.

Among the top reputed gangsters are Tesha Miller, the alleged leader of the Clansman gang; Uchence Wilson, the convicted leader of the Uchence Wilson gang; and Andre 'Blackman' Bryan, the convicted leader of the 'One Don' faction of the Clansman gang.

Miller was sentenced in January 2020 to nearly 39 years in prison following his December 2019 conviction for accessory before and after the fact in connection with the murder of then Chairman of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), Douglas Chambers.

Chambers was shot dead outside the JUTC head office and bus depot in Twickenham Park, Spanish Town on June 27, 2008.

Miller is awaiting the outcome of an appeal of the conviction and sentence.

However, Miller's legal woes have since soared, as, in March 2024, he and 22 other men were arrested, charged and indicted under the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations) Act (Anti-Gang Legislation).

In December of 2020, Uchence Wilson, whose criminal outfit of the same name netted hundreds of millions of dollars from illegal activities across sections of the island, was sentenced to a total of 26 years in prison on various charges, including leading a criminal organisation and shooting with intent.

The other eight convicted members of Wilson's gang received sentences ranging from four to eight years in prison.

Bryan was among 15 members of the One Don faction of the Clansman gang who were convicted on various charges in March of 2023.

Bryan is serving 39 years and six months in prison after being convicted of being the leader of a criminal organisation, as well as facilitating serious crimes, including the shooting of a couple and the torching of their dwelling house with them inside the structure.

Also among the 15 'One Don' gangsters convicted was a lone female, Stephanie 'Mumma' Christie. The 48-year-old St Thomas female pastor was only found guilty of being part of a criminal organisation, an offence with a maximum penalty of 20 years.

At the end of her sentencing on October 2, 2023, Christie was given nine years and nine months for her role in the criminal network, which included defending Bryan against any opposition in the gang, and communicating with the police if there was a problem with gangsters, like them being taken into custody.

Notably, the 'Tesha' faction and the 'One Don' faction of the Clansman gang are arch enemies, the police have stated.

Meanwhile, among the suspected gangsters awaiting trial for various offences is 33-year-old Rasheim Brown, alias 'Shem', the reputed leader of the Golden Heights gang in West Kingston.

He fled the island to the United States after being listed as being wanted since 2024, but was found and deported on January 30, 2025.

The following month, Brown was charged with murder, two counts of wounding with intent, possession of a prohibited weapon, unauthorised possession of ammunition, and making use of a firearm to commit a felony.

Brown is charged with the killing of 55-year-old Mark McKenzie and the injuring of McKenzie’s four and eight-year-old sons, both students.

Reports indicated that around 3am on December 6, 2023, McKenzie was at home with his two sons when several men armed with guns unlocked the door to their one-bedroom apartment and opened gunfire.

The father was hit in the head and other sections of the upper body, while the children sustained gunshot wounds to their legs.

Police assisted all three to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), where the father was pronounced dead. Doctors treated the boys and later transported them to Bustamante Hospital for Children.

The police at the time said Brown was the leader of the Golden Heights gang, which is associated with the Scream Corner gang and was in direct conflict with the Tivoli Gardens’ Young Generation gang.

According to the constabulary, Brown was being investigated for other serious crimes, including breaches of the Anti-Gang Legislation.