Salt Spring reports no murders or shootings in 2026 as police credit community partnerships

Salt Spring in St James continues to record major improvement in public safety, with police reporting that the community has had no murders or shootings since the beginning of 2026.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Rodrick Reid, the acting operations officer for the St James Police Division, said the progress has come after years of steady work between law enforcers and residents in a community that was once widely viewed as dangerous.

Reid shared the update at a town hall meeting hosted by Project STAR at Salt Spring New Testament Church. The session gave residents a chance to hear about the project's work in the area and to point out where further improvement is needed.

"We've seen a significant reduction in crime recently, a change that many in the community have already noticed," Reid said. He added that Salt Spring "was once known as an area where people were often afraid to go", but said that reputation is now changing.

He said Salt Spring had two murders in 2025. "While two murders are still two too many, the progress made in 2025 was exceptional," Reid said, while encouraging residents to keep working closely with the police.

"Since the start of 2026 there have been no murders and no shootings in Salt Spring," Reid added. "This is incredibly encouraging."

Reid said Project STAR's community development work has also helped to support the crime gains. "When partners like these come together we see the level of success that Salt Spring is currently experiencing," he said.

He also recognised the Salt Spring Community Development Committee for its role in strengthening community bonds and assisting crime-prevention work. Reid said there was a period when relations between the CDC and the police were strained, but that has changed.

"I remember a time when the CDC and the police were at odds, but that is a thing of the past," he said. "Today, the CDC members are our partners, and we work together for the benefit of Salt Spring."

Project STAR Director Saffrey Brown said the programme is centred on prevention and on building confidence between people and institutions at the community level.

"One of the key accomplishments has been strengthening relationships between residents and local law enforcement," Brown said.

She said activities including sports, peace-building efforts and social support are being used to help residents, especially young people, move towards positive choices and away from criminal activity.

Project STAR is a five-year social and economic transformation programme for under-resourced communities affected by serious crime and violence. Salt Spring was chosen in late 2023, with work starting in 2024 through consultations and programmes dealing with social protection, local economic development and community-driven action.

Gregory Harris, Jamaica Labour Party councillor for the Salt Spring Division, also commended the programme, saying its effect can be seen and felt throughout the community.

"Project STAR has changed not just the conditions in Salt Spring but the mindset of our people," Harris said. "By listening to residents and working alongside them, the project has broken down long-standing barriers between communities and built a level of trust and unity that we have not seen before. What we are witnessing now is a community coming together as one -- and that is a powerful foundation for sustaining the reduction in crime," added Harris.