Jamaican posses originated in the slums of
Kingston as gangs of enforcers for the
Jamaica Labour Party, led by
Edward Seaga, and the rival
People's National Party, headed by
Michael Manley. The term "posse" was adopted from
Hollywood Western films, which were popular in Kingston and other impoverished areas in Jamaica. Many posses are named after streets or neighborhoods in Jamaica. The widespread poverty and violence of Jamaican society provided the catalyst for the development of posses. Posses served as an informal system of control over local neighborhoods, and their development was connected to political nationalism and
Rastafari. trace their origins to political parties in Kingston. The first Jamaican posses in the U.S. were first identified in
Brooklyn, New York in the 1970s. The groups' activities were initially confined largely to the
New York City and
Miami areas. The posses' expansion into territories previously controlled by other drug gangs brought them into conflicts with
African-American organized crime groups. According to the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), posses were responsible for approximately 1,000 murders between 1985 and 1989. The Shower Posse became heavily involved in the drug trade in
Toronto through its connections with local gangs.
In Great Britain In the United Kingdom, Jamaican organized crime gangs are known as "
yardies". Such gangs proliferated in the UK due to the country's association with former colonies in the Caribbean, and are typically involved in drug-related crime and
gun crime. Jamaican crime groups have relatively small organizational structures and operate in association with other Jamaican gangs, although occasional conflicts between groups are manifested in street violence. After taking control of the crack cocaine trade in
London, yardie gangs spread throughout the south of England, and into parts of the Midlands, Wales, the north of England, and Scotland. == Structure and activity ==