[3] By 1943, the JLP and PNP had established themselves as Jamaica's main rival political parties coming out of the recent Caribbean labour unrest.

Once the JLP came to power, they would demolish a PNP sympathising slum and construct Tivoli Gardens in its place, starting in 1965.

[5] By the 1976 election, more than a hundred had been murdered during the conflict and political parties began forming paramilitary divisions.

Gangs began to be unsatisfied with the lessening handouts given by their political leaders and due to DEA campaigns turned away from marijuana smuggling and to the cocaine trade.

[11][12] On the night of 23 May 2010, the Jamaican government declared a state of emergency in the capital of Kingston and in the parish of St Andrew to last for one month.

[13] After international pressure, the Jamaican government agreed to arrest and extradite famed gang leader Christopher Coke.

During the raids and attempts to arrest Coke, violent gunfights would break out throughout Kingston by his allies to prevent his capture.

[5] Despite many peace accords, it is still common for political parties to pay off criminals for support and encourage paramilitary garrisons.

Originally these groups were solely politically motivated but eventually they all came to be invested in the drug trade and became what are known as Jamaican posses.