PM Holness Urges Citizens to Be Wardens of Peace Amid 16-day Calm in St. Andrew South Police Division
By: , August 1, 2025
Photo: Adrian Walker
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, addresses Thursday’s (July 31) launch of the Cockburn Gardens community Wi-Fi at Dupont Primary and Infant School in St. Andrew.
Photo: Adrian Walker
Prime Minister and Member of Parliament, St. Andrew West Central, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (third right, back row), shares a photo opportunity with stakeholders and representatives during Thursday’s (July 31) launch of the Cockburn Gardens community Wi-Fi at Dupont Primary and Infant School in St. Andrew. Joining Dr. Holness are (from right) Commanding Officer, St. Andrew South Division, Senior Superintendent of Police Damion Manderson; Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Senator the Hon. Ambassador Audrey Marks; Chief Executive Officer, Universal Service Fund, Charlton McFarlane; Social Development Commission (SDC) Parish Manager, Wade Brown, and Community Development Officer, Hishkara Scotland; and Councillor Candidate, Seivwright Gardens Division, Everton Murray, along with children from across the constituency.The Full Story
With the St. Andrew South Police Division recording 16 days without any major incident, Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is urging citizens to serve as wardens of peace in their communities.
The Division has historically ranked among the most violent in Jamaica, plagued by lethal inter- and intra-gang conflicts.
“The citizen has a role to play in their own safety and security. Some of the measures that need to be taken must be with the participation of the citizen. The citizen is not a bystander or an onlooker on their security, they must be active participants. They must take charge of their security, they must own the peace and become wardens of the peace in their communities,” Dr. Holness said.
He was speaking during the launch of the Cockburn Gardens community Wi-Fi at Dupont Primary and Infant School in St. Andrew on Thursday (July 31).
Dr. Holness acknowledged that while the Division is one of the more challenging areas to police, the citizenry has a critical role to play in assisting the security forces to carry out their duties.
“We are not meant to be people perpetually at war with ourselves, maiming and injuring each other… no, we are meant to live in peace. I think 99 per cent of the people within St. Andrew South, and I can speak definitely for my [St. Andrew West Central] constituency, enjoy the peace, they want to see the peace,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Dr. Holness said despite the decline in incidents of violence, the police remain vigilant and proactive particularly in relation to entertainment events, recognising that these gatherings can still present opportunities for disruptive and violent behaviour.
“The only complaint they have now is, ‘since we have the peace… we want to get back our parties, we want to have the enjoyment, the entertainment’. Of course, the police is being very cautious because they know that entertainment is also a flashpoint where certain crimes can take place, particularly drive by shootings… so they are trying to balance,” he said.
“Friday’s engagements also saw the unveiling of community Wi-Fi hotspots at Mall Road and Drewsland in St. Andrew.
The community Wi-Fi programme is being spearheaded by the Universal Service Fund (USF), and aims to further expand Jamaica’s digital reach.
More than 380 community Wi-Fi hotspots have been established across the island, benefiting hundreds of thousands of residents in underserved areas.