Still living in fear Murders down islandwide but Kidd Lane residents don’t feel safer

Making a statement in the House of Representatives on October 6, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace, Dr Horace Chang, said that, as of that day, Jamaica had recorded 407 murders, compared with 534 over the corresponding period in 2025 – a reduction of 24 per cent.

But, for some of the remaining residents of the embattled Kidd Lane in St Andrew, the decline may be a bit too late for some families.

“Yea, dem say crime down, but people still a feel it because to be poor is a crime too. Nah pick up fi no gunman, but when a little youth know say him can get a piece a food, if a man hire him to go do summen, him ago do it. The economy needs to be better and only some people a get food. Yea, crime down, but what happen to the people dem whose picture you see draw pon di wall? Dat nuh do nothing fi dem. Mi can badda ya,” she said.