LESS that 24 hours before Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang told Parliament that Jamaica is on course in 2026 to record “one of its safest years in modern history”, the Global Peace Index named Jamaica the most peaceful country in the Caribbean.

On Tuesday, Dr Chang used his address to close the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives to point out that, as of June 29, murders in Jamaica are down 23 per cent when compared with the same period in 2025.

“This has placed Jamaica on course to record one of the safest years in its modern history. If that trajectory holds, we will end 2026 with fewer than 600 murders,” said Chang.