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The Government plans to introduce zones of special operations (ZOSOs) in at least two more communities during 2021/22 Prime Minister Andrew Holness told the House of Representatives yesterday as he chided the Opposition for discontinuing its support of the security measure.
"We don't have the time. We don't have the luxury," the prime minister stated, as he responded to the Opposition's criticism of the use of ZOSOs and states of emergency (SOEs) which were halted prior to the September 3, 2020 General Election and await a final court decision on the detention of individuals under the emergency programme.
Holness said the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) will manage the social intervention activities in the ZOSOs and that plans are already in place for the additional zones.
The prime minister, who was speaking in the 2021/22 budget debate at Gordon House, said it was disappointing that when the Government had applied the SOEs to deal with crime and violence, the Opposition had refused to support their extension in Parliament.
"It is incredibly frustrating that right when we had applied the right measures, the right tools to show that we can use the [security] forces without violence, we can give extraordinary powers, greater accountability, as we can get results, for political reasons it was oppose, oppose, oppose at every turn," Holness said.
"For what reason? To just come here and show a graph? That's it? When, if it was supported, right now the entire country would have been celebrating an even deeper fall in crime," he stated.
"It's a national issue that cuts across all divides, and we should be united whenever a measure is working. Let us support it," he added.
Holness informed the House that while the SOEs were in place in communities with conflict, the police were able to do their work.
He said that with the Jamaica Defence Force supporting the Jamaica Constabulary Force, they were able to control space, do their State duties, and support community development.
"It was a classic peacekeeping-type operation with no gunshots in the area. People could move about their business and actually experience peace," the prime minister said.
"While that was happening, and the gangs were being displaced, the police were busy doing their work. In Jamaica, homicides are significantly biased towards persons affiliated to gangs, or the gangsters themselves, because almost 80 per cent of murders could be linked to some gang-related activity," he said.
Holness said that the country ended 2020 with less murders than the previous year, and since 2018 the programme was able to "essentially flatten the curve".
"There is no doubt that our use of the SOEs has worked to reduce murders and shootings wherever they have been displayed. I remain proud of the fact that this Administration was able to deploy and implement a framework to enable our security forces to use extraordinary powers and enhanced measures, without doing violence to any citizen, or resulting in the death of any citizen," he declared.
He said that of even greater importance was the fact that the public viewed the SOEs as an effective tool in improving their security and safety.
"There are legal case questions about the use of the SOEs, and it is the intention of the Government to have those issues resolved," he stated.