Mayor Calls for Renewed Energy Among JPs

Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Garth Wilkinson, is calling for renewed energy among Justices of the Peace (JPs), in the parish of Trelawny.

Addressing a recent meeting of the Trelawny Association of Lay Magistrates at the Retreat Heights Community Centre in Falmouth, Mayor Wilkinson said several  JPs from the  parish have migrated, passed on or may be ailing,  which has led to a certain level of dormancy among them.

“We need to look at the current cohort of Justices…look at how we can get a renewal among JPs in the parish,” he said.

The Mayor emphasized that JPs must now make an effort to perform the service for which they were commissioned, and start paying more attention to the youth in the parish.

“As Justices of the Peace, we must recognize that we have an integral part to play in molding the lives of the youth in our communities. We need to be more active…be part of the sporting and other community building activities, and find ways to encourage the youth. We also need to recognize that there are many in our midst who are faced with uncertainties, and sometimes all that is required is a listening ear from one of us as a JP,” he said.

The Mayor is also calling for more volunteers in the parish, and across Jamaica in general.

He said efforts must be made to eliminate the thinking that volunteerism is dead and JPs can and must play a lead role in that drive.

“I charge my fellow Justices to lead the charge in helping to find creative ways to revive that age old practice and to encourage the involvement of the youth in our communities,” the Mayor said.