The Truth about the PNP and Crime

In 1972 the Peoples National Party (PNP) led by Michael Manley won the General Elections to become government in Jamaica for the first time since independence. The murder rate in Jamaica at the time was 172 persons for the year.

Fast forward to 1980 and after 8 years of PNP rule Jamaica found itself in a virtual state of civil war, law and order had broken down almost completely and a staggering 888 persons would have been murdered by the end of the year representing a 516% increase during those years when the PNP had responsibility to maintain law and order in Jamaica and provide security for the Jamaican people.

The 1970’s was the time of Democratic Socialism, economic decline, the Green Bay Massacre, the 1976 State of Emergency, the Gold Street Massacre and PNP government.

During the years 1981 to 1989 the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) formed the Jamaican government, the murder rate fell from the peak of 888 in 1980 to an average of 446 during the 1980’s, as a matter of fact at no time during the 1980’s did the Jamaican murder rate go above 495. The economy grew during this period as it had not done since the previous JLP government of Donald Sangster / Hugh Shearer between 1962 and 1972, the JLP restored the rule of law to Jamaica and the country slowly recovered from the turbulent times of the socialist 1970’s.

In 1989 Michael Manley once again led the PNP to power, and was succeeded by his comrade in arms PJ Patterson in 1992. After having an average of 446 murders a year under the JLP from 1981 to 1989, the PNP led government presided over a state of affairs where the murder rate moved to over 500 for the first time in a decade in 1990, to 629 in 1992, to 779 in 1995, 927 in 1996, 1039 in 1997, and in 2004 there were over 1,469 Jamaicans murdered under the watch of the PNP government.

From 1989 to 2004 the murder rate under the PNP government has increased by over 328%! Governments are elected to provide security for the Jamaican people and it is with them that responsibility and accountability for crime management ultimately lies.

Just when we thought crime could not get any worse under this PNP government, Jamaica recorded nearly 1,700 murders in 2005 and now has the highest murder rate in the world.

Murder Statistics Unravelled
YEAR NUMBER OF MURDERS
1972 172
1973 230
1974 199
1975 269
1976 373
1977 414
1978 384
1979 350
1980 888
1981 495
1982 403
1983 426
1984 486
1985 437
1986 454
1987 447
1988 420
1989 447
1990 552
1991 562
1992 629
1993 651
1994 691
1995 779
1996 927
1997 1039
1998 947
1999 845
2000 886
2001 1139
2002 1045
2003 975
2004 1469
2005 1670+

1972 – 1980 PNP Government led by The Most Honourable Michael Manley
1980 – 1989 JLP Government led by The Most Honourable Edward Seaga
1989 – 1992 PNP Government led by The Most Honourable Michael Manley1992 – 2006 PNP Govenrment led by The Most Honourable P J Patterson


By any reasonable standard the PNP has failed the people of Jamaica and continue to sit by as women and children are murdered at a higher rate than in any other nation in the world.

Whether it is little Sacha-Kay who burnt to death on Maxfield Avenue in PNP Minister Portia Simpson-Miller’s garrison constituency, or the teachers shutting down schools in protest over crime in PNP Minister Omar Davies garrison constituency of Arnett Gardens, or the gun violence in Mountain View in PNP Minister Maxine Henry Wilson’s garrison constituency, or the gang warfare in PNP Minister Phillip Paulwell’s garrison constituency, or the unabated crime in PNP Minister Peter Phillips’ garrison constituency – the PNP has a long history of being soft on crime and Jamaica is not a safe place with them in government.