Jamaica at a Crossroads: Land, Economy, and Access

 By Michael Spence

Michael Spence

Today I want us to look at some interesting statistics and information, which will allow us to have a better understanding of some of our economic challenges. We need to understand where we are coming from and how we can deal with some of these challenges.

1. Beach Access

Jamaica’s coastline is officially 1,022 km, or about 635 miles. Government and campaign groups cite a similar figure of 494 miles (795 km).

The issue is access. Advocates estimate Jamaicans have free access to roughly 2.8 miles of that coastline, less than 1%. NEPA lists only about a dozen operational public beaches, with many others needing rehabilitation. The Beach Control Act of 1956 vests the foreshore in the Crown and does not guarantee a general right of access. 

2. From Sugar to "Plantation Tourism"

After emancipation in 1838, economic power stayed concentrated in land and export crops. By the 1890s, legal incentives reinforced that pattern. After independence in 1962, the model shifted from sugar to tourism, but critics argue the structure remained similar: foreign capital, imported inputs, and limited local ownership. This is what activists now call "Plantation Tourism."

Tourism leakage is a long-standing concern. The Caribbean retains only about 15 to 20 cents of every tourism dollar spent. Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism notes Jamaica does better at about 40 cents retained, with a goal to reach 50-60 cents. Other analysts cite government estimates of 40% retention, meaning 60 cents leaves through imports, foreign management fees, and profit repatriation. 11c7e4b7ee9e

3- Trade crisis

STATIN reported 2025 imports at US$7.52 billion vs exports of US$1.65 billion. That’s a coverage ratio of only 22 cents earned for every $1 spent and a trade deficit of about US$5.87 billion.

Jamaica’s motor vehicle import regime inspected 83,000 used cars in recent years. While exact current registration totals aren’t published here, the fleet is estimated at 800,000 vehicles. Fuel, parts, and 

Homicide/Murders: Jamaica recorded 52.9 per 100,000, the highest in CARICOM. Recent police data shows 673 murders in 2025, a rate of 23.7 per 100,000, down from previous peaks.

Literacy: The last UNESCO/PAHO figure was 89%. CARICOM rankings vary by year, but Jamaica consistently ranks lower than Barbados, Trinidad, and Guyana.

Informal housing: Estimates of "squatter" or informal settlements range up to nearly 1 million people, reflecting decades of rural-urban migration and landlessness.

4. Governance and the Economy

The Bank of Jamaica and IMF have flagged a contracting goods sector, high debt, and vulnerability to external shocks. With 40-85% of foreign exchange in some Caribbean states coming from tourism, the current model leaves little room for local wealth creation when supply chains are imported. d8c111c7

5. A Way Forward

• Tourism alone, at 15-40 cents retention, cannot close the gap. The call is to refocus:
• Buy Jamaica to grow agriculture and manufacturing linkages,
• Export Jamaica to diversify goods and services beyond tourism, and
• Build Jamaica with housing, education, and infrastructure for residents. 

As Bob Marley says, "Wake up and live, for life is one big road with lots of signs." 

Jamaicans, it cannot be business as usual.

Michael Spence

Michael Spence is a graduate of Cornwall College and the University of the West Indies. He is a trained teacher, a sociologist, and a writer for Bark Di Trute.

Micspen2@hotmail.com 

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Dunstan Bryan

Dunstan Bryan returns as permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health & Wellness.

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Commander Hopeton Nicholson's Overview, September 1, 2026

Commander Hopeton Nicholson

Every day, our members enter the arena. They confront difficult circumstances, respond to incidents of violence, investigate serious crimes, engage communities, maintain public order, and, at times, place their own safety at risk in service to others.

Today, therefore, is not simply a day to celebrate statistics. It is an opportunity to recognize the courage, commitment, sacrifice, and professionalism of the men and women who have accepted the responsibility of policing this division.

Today, the St. Catherine North Police Division pauses to reflect on the achievements and experiences of the first eight months of 2026 while also looking ahead and charting the path that we intend to take for the remainder of the year

As we reflect, assess, and prepare, we recognize that it is both a privilege and a profound responsibility to be called upon to serve the people of the St. Catherine North Division.

During the first two-thirds of the year, the men and women of this division embarked on a mission to provide a professional, responsive, and effective level of policing to the citizens and visitors who live, work, conduct business and travel throughout this division.

The task has not been an easy one. We have faced numerous challenges in maintaining peace, preserving law and order, confronting criminal elements, and ensuring that law-abiding citizens are able to live their lives and conduct their businesses in a safe and peaceful environment.

Despite these challenges, we remained focused on our mandate. As a division, we have embarked on a number of strategic initiatives

Public Order Enforcement 

We have intensified our management of activities within our town centers and along major thoroughfares. Our objective is to maintain order, facilitate the free movement of people and traffic, and ensure that our public spaces remain safe and accessible.

Controlling Hotspots

We have deliberately increased our presence and occupation of spaces that are prone to violence and criminal activity. Our approach is to prevent violence before it occurs while reassuring citizens that the police are present, visible, and ready to respond.

Anti-Gang Activities

We continue the relentless pursuit of individuals and groups involved in gang-related activities. Our objective is clear: to disrupt their operations, dismantle their networks, degrade their capabilities, and bring those responsible before the courts.

We will not surrender our communities to criminal gangs. Where criminal elements seek to establish themselves, we will challenge them. Where they seek to intimidate citizens, we will stand with those citizens. And where they seek to undermine the peace and security of our communities, we will pursue them relentlessly and within the full ambit of the law.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement 

We recognize that effective policing can not be achieved by the police alone. We will, therefore, continue to build sustainable partnerships with our citizens, community leaders, business operators, and other stakeholders. Regular and meaningful engagement remains an essential component of our policing strategy.

Our community and stakeholder engagements have intensified during 2026. We have deliberately convened meetings with stakeholders according to their specific areas of interest and responsibility.

These engagements have allowed us to have meaningful dialogue, develop a greater understanding of the needs and concerns of our communities, and, importantly, communicate our own operational needs.

Through these conversations, we have been able to develop strategies that are sometimes specifically tailored to the circumstances and needs of particular communities and stakeholder groups.

Capacity Building and Welfare 

We remain committed to equipping our members with the necessary skills, knowledge, and expertise to respond effectively to the needs of the citizens we serve. At the same time, we recognize that the welfare of our members is equally important. A police officer who is supported, equipped, and cared for is better positioned to provide the standard of service that our communities deserve.

Our ambitious efforts have not been without challenges. However, the men and women assigned to the St. Catherine North Police Division have consistently demonstrated commitment, resilience, and determination.

They have stood up to the task. Today, we can point to measurable results.

For the first eight months of 2026, the St. Catherine North Police Division recorded a 42 percent reduction in murders. This represents the lowest number of murders recorded in this division since its establishment thirty years ago.

That is a significant achievement. But even more significant is what that number represents. Behind every reduction in murder is a life potentially saved, a family spared unimaginable pain, a child who does not have to grow up without a parent, and a community given a greater opportunity to live, work and prosper in peace.

 For the first time in over four years, the St Catherine North Police Division recorded zero murders in a calendar month. In the 29 months that I have served as Divisional Commander,  August 2026 is the first calendar month without a murder.* *The St Catherine North Police Division has a 190% clear up rate for murders.  It is not a smart idea to commit crimes in St Catherine North,  you will be caught and you will be prosecuted.

I want to pause here and recognize what that means. Zero murders in August are not simply a number on a crime chart.It represents police officers who worked long hours. It represents intelligence officers who gathered and analyzed information. It represents investigators who pursued cases. It represents operational teams who occupy hotspots. It represents communities that cooperated with us. It represents citizens who chose peace over violence.

It is a collective achievement. We must continue to be proactive rather than reactive.We must continue to occupy the spaces where criminals seek to operate. We must continue to disrupt gangs and other organized criminal networks. We must continue to strengthen our investigations. We must continue to engage our communities. And we must continue to build the capacity and welfare of our members

But successful policing is about more than statistics. It is also about public confidence. It is about the confidence of a business owner to open his or her doors in the morning. It is about a parent knowing that their children can move through their community safely. It is about citizens being able to attend church, school, work, sporting events, and community activities without fear.

It is about creating an environment where law-abiding citizens understand that the police are there to protect them and that criminality will not be allowed to dominate their communities.

his is the policing model that we intend to strengthen. We will continue to be firm where firmness is required, professional in our approach, fair in our dealings, and compassionate towards those who need our assistance.

To the citizens of St. Catherine North, I say this: we need your continuous partnership.

The police can not be everywhere at all times. Your information, cooperation, and willingness to stand against criminality are critical to our success. And to the men and women of the St. Catherine North Police Division, I commend you.

The progress we have made is a collective achievement. Every patrol, every investigation, every intelligence report, every community meeting, every intervention, and every difficult decision has contributed to the results we are seeing today.

Remember the words of Theodore Roosevelt. The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena.”

To the men and women who serve the St Catherine North Police Division, you are the ones in the arena. You are the ones who answer the calls in the middle of the night.

You are the ones who confront dangerous situations. You are the ones who investigate the crimes. You are the ones who engage the communities. And you are the ones who, every day, have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve.

Let us, therefore, continue to enter that arena with courage.

Let us enter it with integrity.

Let us enter it with professionalism. And let us enter it with the determination to make St. Catherine North is safer than we found it. And let us enter it with the determination to make St. Catherine North is safer than we found it.

The work is not finished.

The challenges remain.

But so does our resolve.

Together, we have demonstrated what can be achieved.

Together, we will build on those achievements. And together, we will continue to protect life, preserve public safety, disrupt criminal networks, uphold the law, and build stronger partnerships with the communities we serve.

 Hopton Nicholson, MBA,  BSc,  psjcc

 Senior Superintendent of Police 

 Commanding Officer 

 St Catherine North Police Division 

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Yard Empire, Thanks Dervan Malcolm

Terry Salmon and Dervan Malcolm

Dervan Malcolm always made time to support YARD EMPIRE NGO for our at-risk boys. He never hesitated to answer our calls. He was master of ceremonies at the 2016 media launch of YARD EMPIRE, masterfully conducting the proceedings as we took the first step in using the performing arts to inspire our boys.  

He joined us at his alma mater, Calabar High School, for our Bureau of Gender Affairs symposium “Boys Becoming Men." A shining example to the boys of dedication and purpose. 

In 2023, at our International Men’s Day presentation sponsored by UNESCO, he was present at SDC Hanover St. That Sunday morning, our YARD EMPIRE YOUTH were set to perform for invited guests, friends, and family. A power cut delayed the start of the programme, which honoured community fathers and male stakeholders, but Dervan's calm, steady presence made the wait tolerable. He was the consummate professional and a caring friend to our cause. We will feel this loss as deeply as his many fans who knew him for his work in media.

YARD EMPIRE salutes you, Dervan. You have selflessly given your expertise to Jamaica. May your soul rest in eternal glory. ❤️

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Keep abreast of the news and information in the world. Bark Di Trute, a Jamaican blog, is packed with accurate information. Click the following link and get information at your fingertips. WhatsApp link is: https://chat.whatsapp.com/C9bkP96JIN2JgHiuktY3Jj 

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Another NWC Leak Which The NWC Is Dealing With

 

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What Funerals Have Come To, Even The Dead Will Turn In Their Graves

The Custos of Trelawny, the Hon. Hugh Gentles, with two of his schoolmates.

It was Sunday, August 30, the day of my mother's funeral, and we left home at 8:00 am. Getting on the highway was like stepping onto an airplane. The smooth ride, minus potholes, was an unbelievable experience. It was already hot in Kington when we started to climb the hills heading up to Williamsfield, then onto Christiana; the cool breeze in this part of the journey was invigorating.

Leaving from Coleyville to Lorrimers and then on to Litchfield, there are signs of Melissa with the various breakaways and missing roofs. One error of judgment and you could end up off the road. At night, you cannot see those breakaways. We should get some red blinking solar lights to highlight those areas. We could also have signs that say, "Road Breakaway 50 Yards Ahead." Who cares?

I arrived a few minutes before the scheduled start of the service, which did not start on time because the pastor had not arrived. Unbelievable! I made sure to tell one of the pastors that arriving at the service late reflects poorly on the church. Some were shocked at my action.

The real challenge is that we had to sit and take the rough ride of a funeral service, which lasted approximately five hours. My brother was losing patience—the rain was looking as if it would cancel the burial. My brother declared that he would take action to stop the funeral if it continued forever. I spoke to the elder who was chairing the programme, and she indicated to the participants that some items had to be cut short. By this time, a packed church with all seats taken on the side of the church and all seats taken under the tent was now half empty.

We have developed some practices in recent times for putting our loved ones to rest, which I believe is a waste of time, effort, and money. Let me list them:

• Having long funeral services. A funeral service should not go over one and a half hours.
• We purchase expensive coffins only to throw them in the ground.
• Our loved ones cannot appreciate the flowers that we give them when they are underground.
• The funeral procession now becomes a film set with cameras capturing various angles of the procession.
• Disposable memorabilia is disposable, and therefore giving it to guests is wasting money.
• At some funerals, you hear people performing popular songs starting in the key of A and ending up in the key of Z. If you cannot sing, don't attempt to kill the already dead person in the coffin.
• If you know you cannot handle the situation, why go up on the pulpit to read the eulogy or give a tribute when you know you will bawl? People have to be on your left and right trying to hold you up. Have someone who is not emotionally charged do it for you.
• There is the repast. I understand that in some communities, even people who do not intend to attend a funeral wash then hang up their pots to collect free food. One gentleman gave meal tickets to those who attended the church service. Those who came for free food ended up going down the hill singing some colourful Jamaican words on empty stomachs.
• In the past, the nine-night was where you went to sing Sankey hymns, read the Bible, and sip some coffee and white rum. Now the nine-night is a big dance with a band, where people enjoy themselves without even remembering who has died or who the relatives are.

Remember that a funeral service is where religious people carry out certain traditions for the deceased. It is not a place for the living to show off their eloquence and their non-singing skills. Those who give tributes should be careful that they do not make statements that will add to the hurt of the grieving relatives.

Above all, don't forget that a funeral can leave you as broke as the man in the coffin.

Dust to dust, ashes to ashes.

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I posted a correction in my reply to Mr Vegas's post, and the man was so humble. He made the correction immediately. Others can learn from him.

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Prostate Cancer

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Please add your comments at the bottom of the blog.

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Keep abreast of the news and information in the world. Bark Di Trute, a Jamaican blog, is packed with accurate information. Click the following link and get information at your fingertips. WhatsApp link is: https://chat.whatsapp.com/C9bkP96JIN2JgHiuktY3Jj 

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Coopers Pen - Balance Between Rule Of Law And The Dignity Of The People

Prime Minister Andrew Holness speaks to residents.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ visit to Coopers Pen represents an important intervention in a situation that has raised serious questions about housing, land ownership, displacement, and the responsibility of the state toward vulnerable citizens.

There is significance in the Prime Minister choosing to visit the community personally. In moments of uncertainty, people want more than official statements—they want to know that their concerns are being heard. By going into Coopers Pen, engaging residents and assessing the circumstances firsthand, Holness demonstrated that the concerns of the affected families had reached the highest level of government.

At the same time, his response recognized an uncomfortable but important reality: government must operate within the law.

Compassion for displaced families cannot mean disregarding legitimate private property rights or decisions of the courts. Equally, enforcing legal rights should not prevent the government from considering the humanitarian consequences when families, children, and elderly residents are affected.

Finding the balance between those two principles is where responsible leadership becomes particularly important.

Rather than offering residents promises that may be impossible to fulfil, the Prime Minister's approach has focused on finding a lawful and sustainable way forward. That is a more responsible position than allowing emotion or political pressure to dictate a solution that could create further legal problems.

However, the Government must now move from engagement to implementation.

Residents need certainty about what assistance will be available, who will qualify, where affected families may be relocated and how quickly those arrangements can be completed. Communication will also be critical. People facing uncertainty about something as fundamental as their home deserve clear and timely information.

There is also a much larger lesson for Jamaica.

Coopers Pen should not be viewed simply as an isolated community dispute. Across the country, there are Jamaicans who have occupied and developed land for many years without secure legal title. These situations can remain unresolved for generations before suddenly becoming crises.

The Holness administration, therefore, has an opportunity to draw on the experience at Coopers Pen to strengthen Jamaica's approach to informal settlements, land titling, affordable housing, and the treatment of vulnerable residents during lawful evictions.

Prime Minister Holness deserves credit for showing up and engaging directly with the people. But the strongest endorsement of his intervention will not come from the visit itself. It will come from what happens afterwards.

If the government can uphold the rule of law while helping affected families transition to safe, secure, and legally recognized housing, Coopers Pen could become an example of how difficult land disputes can be handled with both firmness and humanity.

That is the balance Jamaica needs: respect for the law, respect for property rights and, equally important, respect for the dignity of its people.

________________

Prostate Cancer

Remember to have your prostate checked out by the doctor, or you might see your maker earlier than he had planned.

Please add your comments at the bottom of the blog.

________________

Click Here.

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Keep abreast of the news and information in the world. Bark Di Trute, a Jamaican blog, is packed with accurate information. Click the following link and get information at your fingertips. WhatsApp link is: https://chat.whatsapp.com/C9bkP96JIN2JgHiuktY3Jj 

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It's best to view this blog on your computer at https://vderby.blogspot.com.

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Subscribe Now!

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Without your support, Bark Di Trute could fail to bark one day. Send your ideas, stories, and news by WhatsApp at (876) 816-5261.

You can view the blog on your computer at https://vderby.blogspot.com, and you will be able to see the various links. For example, there is a link that takes you to the calendar to see what is happening on the weekend. You can even search the site for articles. There is also a weather link, which you can use to track hurricanes.

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