Jamaica

“Xaymaca” is Taíno for “Land of Wood and Water.” The island nation of Jamaica is another part of the British Commonwealth, the fifth largest country in the Caribbean, and one of its most crime-ridden. Jamaica has been the murder capitol of the world in recent years, as gang violence involving drugs and arms trafficking has run rampant, spreading from “the Yards” (housing projects on the island) to “Yardies” in Jamaican communities in other nations.

THE RASTAFARI MOVEMENT

Although Jamaica is predominantly Christian and has some Afro-Caribbean traditions (like Obeah), it is best known for the Rastafari movement. Disciples of the movement—who do not care for the term “Rastafarianism” along with most other “-isms”—worship the Ethiopian Emperor Hallie Sallasie I of Ethiopia as the Second Coming of Christ and a descendant of King Solomon, believing he will lead the righteous to create a paradise on Earth called Zion, the New Jerusalem.
In opposition to Zion is “Babylon,” the whole of Western society, which is corrupted by greed and materialism. As a part of this, they believe Jamaica is a hell where the chosen people languish, until they are led back to paradise. Rastafari are infamous for their use of cannabis as a sacrament (part of a “conversation with God”), their dreadlocks (dictated by Levite and Nazarine creeds against the cutting of hair), and their association with reggae music.

POSSES

Organized crime in Jamaica is dominated by gangs known as “posses,” a term borrowed from American Westerns for its implications of both allegiance and violence. The primary criminal business of the posses is drug-smuggling and distribution, with a sideline in arms dealing, since the gangs prefer to be well-armed themselves and are infamous for shoot-outs with authorities. The movement of posse members to areas like the United States was originally driven by arms deals, but they soon discovered they could take over drug operations from less violent and experienced criminals gangs, and moved into those territories in areas with a significant Jamaican population.
The posses are typically arranged in three tiers: the leaders of the organizations have little direct contact with their contraband “merchandise,” and are focused on directing and managing the middle-tier, which transports money, drugs, and weapons between the leadership and the street-level tier, which arranges for the actual sales. Lower-tier members often have limited knowledge of those above them in order to insulate them from the authorities.
One of the fastest-growing posses is the so-called “Snow Posse,” named both for their principle product (cocaine in both powder and “crack” form) and their leader, the supercriminal known as “Snowman."