St. Andrew Central leads Area 4 firearm seizures as police shift focus from gangs

St. Andrew Central remains pivotal to crime control across the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Area 4, police say, citing heavy firearm seizures this year and a shift away from the gang-driven violence that marked 2024 and early 2025.

Officers describe the division as central to national life because it hosts some of the country’s most important institutions. That concentration of activity, they argue, makes St. Andrew Central one of the key divisions for keeping Area 4 under control.

Since the start of the year, the division has recovered 31 firearms — more than any other Area 4 division, according to the account given in a forthcoming Force for Good discussion. Police credit stepped-up operations and intelligence-led raids with taking weapons out of criminal hands.

A suggested 62 per cent drop in murders was clarified as last year’s figure, not a current-year claim. Murders had been high from 2024, and St. Andrew Central recorded the strongest reduction among divisions during that period.

Gang conflict defined much of 2024 and part of 2025, including the early period after the current command took charge. Officials now say gangs are no longer the main driver of violence in the division. Crime continues, but they describe it as largely the work of individuals rather than organised gangs.

Interpersonal and domestic violence has become the primary concern. Police say they have contained the gang threat and are now concentrating on those personal disputes.

The remarks form part of an upcoming Force for Good episode examining how performance in St. Andrew Central shapes the wider Area 4 picture.