Operation Restore Paradise Successful in Mobay

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Homer Davis, says while there is still more progress to be made, the law and order initiative, known as Operation Restore Paradise, has, so far, been largely successful.

Speaking at a JIS ‘Think Tank’ at the St. James Municipal Corporation on July 25, Mayor Davis said the mission going forward is to ensure sustainability, and for the city not to revert to “where we are coming from”.

“In order to achieve what we set out to achieve, we now have to secure what we have achieved. We achieved quite a lot in the first 30 days… and it’s still ongoing,” the Mayor noted.

“It’s also interesting to note that Operation Restore Paradise is not all about prosecuting… It’s also about sensitising. If sensitising fails, then that’s when we go ahead and prosecute,” he added.

Mayor Davis said he has met with the police and the military and a plan has been designed to divide the city of Montego Bay into six zones to ensure that law and order are maintained, and that there is full compliance by the business community to city rules and regulations.

Operation Restore Paradise, which commenced on May 20, 2019, was originally slated for a week, but has since been extended for a further 90 days.

Spearheaded by the St. James Municipality, where Mayor Davis is the Chairman, the initiative also involves other agencies, including the Ministry of Health and Wellness, National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Island Traffic Authority, Transport Authority and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard.

Mayor Davis said the city was forced to take a stand against what it deemed rampant lawlessness and a breakdown of acceptable norms.

“Montego Bay is the best city in the Caribbean… A hub for business activities and a favourite destination for visitors, and we want to keep it that way,” he said.

“We have to sensitise people about what it means to take care of our little paradise… to take care of our communities,” the mayor added.

He reiterated that traffic enforcement will be a major part of the operation, and that persons with outstanding traffic tickets, as well as operators of public passenger vehicles who operate in contravention of the Road Traffic Act, will be targeted.

“For business operators who operate in the city… we will check their certification as it relates to public health… and as it relates to contracts with the NSWMA to remove their garbage,” the Mayor said.

“We can’t have people operating restaurants without licences and without food handlers’ permits. We have to maintain discipline… we have to maintain order,” he emphasised.