To tell the truth I will not use lack of employment to justify the reason why the murder rate in ja is so high. Alot of those guys don't want to work. I think the Gov should review the method of punishment.

Unfortunatly Peace and Unity will never be reached in Kingston until as stated we get more jobs for the people.
Mark Shields is free to say what he wants, but it seems to me that whether we are in 31st place or 50 something, that fact still remains that when I am in Kingston my HOME, my Aunt will call me 100 times to make sure I am ok and I have locked the doors on the car and that I am in a somewhat safe place seeing that I can never be completly sure.
I really wish that there was some way to fix this but the harsh reality is that its a cycle and If out government doesnt put some pedal to the metal then Jamaica will never get better!!!

i believe if we as country created more job i certainly believe it would reduce the crime rate tremdenously, the next thing is education most children has limited are no resource to get a good education because of the system. we need to create more programm such as the national youth service which they have done a good job over the pass years.The youth service created alot opportunites for youth people like myself and i honestly believe it would be good move in creating my programme such as the youth service.

Jamaica is a very corrupted country,even if jobs are provided violence will not go any where.

I DON'T KNOW HOW OLD YOU ARE BUT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FROM GENESIS ! IT'S NOW LIKE A TRADITION...

JAMAICANS KILL EACH OTHER FROM GENERATIONS...WHO SHOT BOB MARLEY? WHO SHOT AND KILLED PETER TOSH??

IF WE COULD ALLOW OUR KIDS TO WRITE "INFORMER FI DEAD " ON OUR WALLS THEN I'M SORRY THE POLICE CANNOT HELP US !...

The lack of jobs, if definitely one of the major contributor of this crime problem in Jamaica, However this is just a single factor which has bin and remain to be a problem I do agree with the commissioner that the lack of jobs forces people to get involve in criminal activities and also the lack of good role models, My sister just got accepted in a program at the UWI and can u imagine paying 1millon dollars a year for tuition. Which poor man that lives in Jamaica can afford that? The society price out the lower class out of opportunities such as educational, the people are oppress and need a way out so if they say that crime is the way, that’s what they are going to do, I strongly believe that if more opportunities were being created by the public as well and the private sector, the crime rate in Jamaica would not be so high. No Nicky I strongly disagree with your point. Due to more than one fact even if the population was more educated and there was no job as is now then those educated ppl would have to find a way out and the ppl they see making it and driving the most expensive cars are the “dons” and the politicians.

I agree with frassman. You definitely need more education as the spelling and grammar in your post shows your complete lack of it. If an adult like frassman has the limited vocabulary to express himself, then what can we expect from our youth? I suggest that these gossip websites set up a remedial grammar course for their disadvantaged viewers.

ANY REAL JAMAICAN KNOW SEH A LONG TIME THING THIS INNA YARD DI MORE ATTENTION WI G DI BADMAN DEM....ALL DEM DO A KILL MORE.......MI HATE DI IDEA SEH WI SUH RICH IN TALENT THATS THE WORLD WANNA BE LIKE US BUT WI NUH KNOW FI CONTROL WI OWN COUNTRY.....WI NEED A CHANGE NOW LET'S TRY NEW THING LIKE MORE ORGANIZATION BUILT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY.....JOBS DI PEOPLE DEM WANT MONEY FI SPEND.....MI LOVE MI YARD A MI NAH TRADE IT FI NUTTEN A JUST DI VIOLENCE A MEK JAMAICA LOOK BAD.....SPORTS MUSIC EDUCATION WI DONE IT ALL WI HAVE SENSE SUH RASS USE IT......

As a yardy, who love yard and live there till adolescent in the ghetto of grants pen and middle class community of harbour view. I've seen the two side of the Jamaican society. Let me start with the good: Jamaicans are the Most Talented descendants of the Slaves in the Caribbean and the ones with the bravest heart to rebel against totalarianism. However when such a people looses focus and been brainwash to see themselves as their worse enemy, there is nothing except for the All Mighty that can stop the level of violence they will execute against themselves. If Jamaica had supported the self reliant policies of Michael Manley today we would be like Japan, A world power. But because of lies and tricks that they fall for they kill their own peace and prosperity.
When Jamaican gain so called independence, why was it that Blacks didn't rule after britain partially left? Many think racism is not in JA but its always been there and is now growing. The prospects for poor in JA never seem more bleak, Only the music industry, sport, or getting off the Island can help the poor, the more fortunate always chat shit about people don't want to work because they are fortunate to get out and come to foreign land and improve themselves they become indifferent to the fellow country folks, I say f**k all Jamaicans who talk and dont invest not even a pack of pencil to a basic shool in JA. GOD BLESS JAMAICA, but until God make the poor aware of who their enemies really are crime will never and I repeat nerver change in Jamaica, Jamaica Elite you better pray cause when that day come your house in Norbrook will be taken and re distributed to the poor Grants Pen People, Pray you ass oles!

EVERY A CHAT BOUT LACK OF JOBS CAUSE CRIME ONNU SOUND LIKE A BUNCH A UPTOWN PEOPLE NOT BECAUSE ONNU A WORKING CLASS DAT NUH MEAN EVERY BODY A WORKING CLASS SHOTTAS NUH WORK SHOTTAS EXTORT AND ROB ONNU LEARN DAT MI A GARRISON YOUTH AND MI KNOWN IF YUH CREATE TEN MILLION JOBS TOMARROW PEOPLE STILL A GUH DEAD YUH CUT CRIME BY FORMING A AGENCY LIKE THE FBI FI DEAL WID FIRST WORLD INVESTIGATIONS AND WATCH OVER THE JAMAICA POLICE FORCE BECAUSE NUFF A THEM INVOLVE INA CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES TO GET RID A CERTAIN POLITICIAN WEY HAVE CRIMINAL LINKS AND PEOPLE FI STOP PROTECT GUN MAN AND CORPORATE WID THE POLICE BECAUSE THE GUN MAN DEM WEY YUH A PROTECT A DEM SAME ONE A ROB YUH AND KILL YUH WHEN POLICE KILL MURDERER EVERY BODY A BLOCK ROAD AND PROTEST BUT WHEN GUN MAN KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE EVERY BODY QUITE

GEORGE HOW DI F**K U A DIS DI MAN THIS IS A JAMAICAN WEBSITE IF U DONT LIKE OUR GRAMMAR DONT F**KING CLICK HERE EVERY BODY UNDERSTAND THE MAN EXCEPT U

PEOPLE! OVERALL, JAMAICA IS IN A REAL MESS. YU GUYS REALLY SAID IT ALL. HOWEVER, A COUPLE OF MORE THINGS I WANT TO ADD: A LOT OF THIS COMES FROM THE AFFECTS OF COLONIAL RULE. DIVIDE & CONQUER, MANIPULATION, A CLASS SYSTEM & POLITICS. WHICH DOES NOTHING BUT DIVIDE PEOPLE. THEN CORRUPTION COMES ABOUT. PREFERENCES WHICH LEADS TO CRIME etc. IT'S ALL ONE BIG PUZZLE IN-WHICH EVERYTHING IS CORRELATED. IT'S GOING TO TAKE THE CITIZENS AS A COLLECTIVE TO IRON OUT THIS MESS.

Kingston and Jamaica is by far one of the most dangerous places ive been in worldwide.. remember the population is very small.. i have been so lucky that i have traveled a lot and seen and experienced many countries.. i was a yard during december and never have i experienced jamaica so unsecure! well as my uncle said.. this place will not get better until it has gotten MUCH worse.. sry but i have no idea how the problem should be solved.. as other posts has mentioned: more work will lead to more corruption.. jamaica need to grow mentally and not moneywise, the jamacain people need to come together and solve the problem in the small communities and ofc the gov. most lead the way.. maybe cut of the amerimakka influence with "the money is everything mentallity"?.. well i just dont know..

jamaica has the highest murder rate in world per capita by population,and dats a fact.

lol george u too bad. how can anyone say that more jobs will not help the current situation when it has never been the case that jamica has had an over obundnce of jobs, do not dismiss any changes before they have come about because it is obvius that we need it. even if the crime rate fall only a small percent is that not still worth it. that small percent could be your life or the life of someone you love consider that.

LoL @ George, that is cute!

Lack of jobs and education definitely play a roll in the violence over the years but unless we get rid of the corruption and change the culture in the community then the youths them will always be a product of their environment. A lot of people get the opportunity to come out of the ghetto and make good but go elsewhere and take the same bad behaviour with them.

You have to a foundation and that starts with God. If you don't have a moral compass and don't know right from wrong then you basically have no conscience. A man without a conscience is capable of doing any kind of evil.

JAMAICA IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE,IT'S A SHAME THAT THE VIOLENCE JUST NEVER ENDS.WE NEED TO GO TO THE DEATH PENALTY AGAIN KILL EVERY MURDERER CUT OFF THEIR BALLS AND PENIS.

JAH BLESS

yow crime inna jamica is now complex social problem and will take years to solve. I guess there is no one easy answer.

George F*@K off.

jamaicaan need to get real serious on the gun man dem just do something about it because dem a gwan too bad

Well, this is how i see it, these are the things which put Jamaica in the position she finds herself...
1. BAD MIND and Greed- When a poor man work hard fi him tings and de same people in de community set up fi rob an kill him.

2.ILLITERACY ---Jamaica has got to be one a de duncest nation ...mi naw lie...dem head tuff bad, a mean is like dem nuh have no zeal to learn, dem hate reading, dem cant have an argument widout dem threaten to bruk knife in each other...goodness gracious!

3.BROKEN HOMES- The family today has lost its way, now a days kids are having kids....grandparents are in dem 30's and dem nuh know how to train pitney.....notice how de pitny dem nowadays nuh have any mannaz? all dem mothers these days waan do is dress up de likkle gyal dem in big oman clothes and nuh know say a set dem a set man fi rape off de pitny dem.another ting, wen de pitny dem do wrong de parents dem laff and dont correct dem ...... people u need to realize de children need real parents not friends, dem can mek plenty friends outa road...dem need parents to be positive role models..

4. Corruption in the justice system....police a tek bribe and let man wid gun walk free etc

5. Politicians and dem double standards....becaz dem want vote dem encourage people to break de law, block roads, look hom many garrison community deh a jam rock...i think if the politician dem serious about crime dem tek weh dem self from the garrison area dem....

6.Lack of jobs..... dat needs no explanation...caz we all know dat de devil find work for idlers!!!!

7. and how could i forget the deejay dem who nuh stop glorify the guns in dem songs...any day dem get a gun shot dem wi see who fa marrow will fly to de sky and and wat di "bullit, bullit" feel like.

Anytime all of these things sort out, jamaica will be one of the most peaceful places on earth!!!

Movado said it best, BADMAN AND POLICE A WAR B4 MI BORN. If Jamaica is to change then we need the jobs, but not only that we need people who want the jobs as the majority of youth now don't even care. These young people as long as them have enough money to catch the session tonite them alrite. Everyone is looking for a scapegoat as to why JA is so bad, some blame politics, the music, the job market. Me seh sun too hot cuz di man dem head hot

this is very biased yeah thats how i see it what about Iraq, Afghanistan, African countries etc what about dem, dem blowing up dem selves with technology from space dem have guns bigger than ours and killing off more than the likkle 800+ Jamaica have dem do it genocidal fi dem body count pass 10,000+ now tell me now why not look at dem and talk......

Jamaican crime high but within limits fi developing country. Tis more pon gangbanging and extortion!
Some of gang members haffi money so tis not fi du wid jobs but education and prayers.

as an ex-soldier who av one of my best friend from army days who dies couple week ago whilst doing is job for all z good citizens of our beloved jamaica, i wud av to say i dont like to see how z small minority of so called shottas r doing to our country.i av a few key points which i am sure that if z goverment implement it wud surely reduce crime dramatically just like how z crime of expoting drugs av dropped.
firstly z youths want more jobs and skills
there shud be at least 3 police officer working within z community on a daily basis
we need to stomp out z negativeness of calling people informers who reported criminals to the police
the entertainers and disc jockeys must stop gloryfyin and endorsing negativ musics
they must also commit thereselves on a islandwide motorcade of stomping out crime because most of z youths look up to them.z quite of few djs who r spending there money on guns must stop it,and yes mr djs u know that its z truth.z mothers an baby mothers of gunmen must be more vigilant whenever they suspect them of doing something wrong
and last but not least every single politician must dedicate there life to decrease crime in jamaica because they r z one who started z distribution of guns in jamaica and everyone knows that....oh i wud like to visit my country but not at z rate its going right now and i can said that there r thousands more of us in foreign land thinking just like me.comeon jamaica man lets do it for our kids plz plz plz i am begging u all..thank u.....

continuation of my first speech

continuation of my speech:
i am living in england for quite a while now and even though crime goes on everywhere i wud b pleased if it was like over hear
just z other day a father went in his son bedroom and found a gun with 12 bullets under his son bed and he call z police on him and he get send to prison
a few days after that 2 brothers had beaten a man until he was blind and there mother overheard them bragging about it so she call z police annnd they also gone to prison
now this is z road jamaica must also go and abolish that nasty attitude of calling ppl informers who reported crimes.some of these youths can do better whillst some of them need help in many different areas.to b truthful as a youth growing up in portmore i did love GUNS , but i dont go at it in a negative way because i joined z army and gave my country fem years of my life which i am proud about until z day i die
come on youths man lets made a change...plz plz plz....... i love u all jamaica rather home r abroad.....peace to u all and ur families....one love.....out...

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Well said, "Make the Right Choice." I totally agree with your comments and how you laid them down. I was born in and grew up in Washington, D.C., so I can relate to the problem with violence, as it plagued my teenage years and continues to this day. We must stop glorifying sex, drugs and guns. It's no longer sexy, nor is it the "lick." I love Jamaica like cooked food. I actually feel more comfortable in Jamaica than in Washington, D.C. However, I hate to see people living in such impoverished situations in such a paradise. Jamaicans remember who you are. Remember your triumphs. Don't let the politricks corrupt you. Remember Marcus Garvey. Remember Nanny. You are warriors. Fight for your country, as African Americans have fought in the U.S. Stop allowing the "brain drain." Plus, all those "fake Jamaicans" who just complain and come a foreign only to complain more, Shut up and put up. You must give back to your country. If you are here in the U.S. working for Uncle Sam, who are you to boast that you are "all that" cuz you are from Jamaica. The bottom line is you are working for the masters of the U.S. Don't fight against African Americans or call us lazy. If it wasn't for the struggles of blacks in America and the Civil Rights Movement, the Immigration Act of 19 sixty-something would never have been passed so that blacks from other parts of the world would be able to come to the U.S. We are all of the same blood; we mustn't forget that. WE KNOW WHO WE ARE! DON'T LET EM FOOL YA! BEAUTIFUL BLACK PEOPLE STOP BLEACHING OUT YOUR SKIN AND SELLING OFF YOUR CULTURE! WE KNOW WHO WE ARE! JAH RASTAFARI! FORIVER AND IVER! ONE LOVE...SELAH!

well its not like jamaica is the only country that have killings
so jamaicans dont feel any way bout your country
try and be pround and set examples for those who dont understand the concepts of life towards death

them too damn ignorant and "bad mind". see them kill the chairman fi the jutc bus company because the man implement things weh them nuh like.the young youth too free them nuh have nuttin fi worry bout and all them want is quick money. unnu tan a town wid unnu crap dont come a country wid it, tan a town kill out unnu one another.

My little two cents' worth. I can't agree with the few people who said JA's crime is within limits for a developing country and Jamaicans should not feel a way. It really is not and Jamaicans should feel a way.

I lived there for 3 years while I was at UWI and while it was the best time of my life, it opened my eyes to the country that I am half a part of (thru my father but I digress...).

Having come from Barbados and being kind of on the outside looking in, it became clear to me that the root problem of crime in JA is social inequality.

The gap between rich and poor in Jamaica shocked me. Things like children begging on the street in the midst of the conspicuous wealth of New Kingston point to this gap. Society must take care of those who are weakest.

Another thing I observed was the big gaps between public 'primary' schools and private 'prep' schools. In Barbados, nearly everyone, including the Prime Ministers, send their children to public primary schools. It was only in JA that I realised that if you go to a public school you hardly have a chance. Dem tings cyan gwan if JA wants a peaceful society. It is not just and where there is no justice, there is no peace.

It is not fair to those who are poor - it disadvantages them and breeds resentment. Moreover, it makes them dependent on alternative authority sources like dons and leads to this whole 'informer fi dead' complex cos if your don is the one paying for your schoolbooks who will you feel loyalty to?