Ministry of National Security Launches Campaign to Maintain Peace

The Ministry of National Security has launched a campaign to maintain peace in vulnerable and volatile communities throughout the holiday season.

The campaign targets communities in a number of parishes, including St. Catherine, Clarendon, St. James, Kingston and St Andrew.

Speaking with JIS News, Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting, said the campaign has two components.

He noted that one component includes a series of media advertisements which are largely unscripted testimonials from persons in communities. “In those communities, we have made significant progress in uniting the people, building broad-based partnerships with the police and residents and over time seeing significant improvements with safety and security,” the Minister said.

“The idea is that persons from other communities will see and hear these testimonials and want it for themselves too. We intend that this becomes contagious, so peace, too, will become contagious,” he added.

The second component will see members of the National Security team visiting a number of communities and hosting one-day corner leagues (football matches), accompanied by some community cookouts, with music.

“In parallel, we host workshops for children targeting violence prevention. Basically, we are trying to build social capital in communities. We successfully hosted this programme last year and we have an extended approach this year, starting earlier,” Minister Bunting said.

On December 20, the team will be visiting Canaan Heights and Jones Town with a community corner league and a cookout, beginning at 10:00 a.m. and for December 23, the team will be in Hannah Town hosting a community safety children’s extravaganza and cookout.

The activities end on December 28 with a community corner league and cookout in the community of Bucknor as well as a trauma response outreach and gospel concert in the Frankfield community, in Clarendon.