PM Calls on Mobay Chamber to Help in Fight Against Crime

Prime Minister, Hon. Bruce Golding has challenged the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry to become the mobilisers of public support to an even greater extent than the organisation has been, so as to help the government maximise the resources it has to deal with crime.
Mr. Golding told the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce at its 75th anniversary grand ball on Saturday (Dec 1) at the Half Moon Hotel in Montego Bay, that 80% of crime in Jamaica was going unpunished because the country does not have the capacity or the resources to deal with the punishment. He said the Jamaica Constabulary Force is facing serious manpower problems with majority working 14-15 hours a day. The Prime Minister said in certain communities, people were not able to see the kind of response desired because the police are under too much stress. Mr. Golding pointed to the need to introduce greater application of technology, more and improved training, better use of intelligence and intelligence-driven surveillance.
Mr. Golding said that when the new Commissioner of Police takes up his post, he will face serious challenges and will require support of the government. He has given the government’s commitment to the Police High command that the government will be there to do everything they can to enable them to do the job as effectively as possible. He also called on the public to support the fight against crime.
Mr. Golding told the capacity-filled room that his government remains steadfast in its philosophical approach to economic management and development. “We don’t have to rationalise that we are committed to private sector led economic growth’, he said. As part of this commitment he said the private sector and government held a National Planning Summit in Montego Bay recently out of which a number of recommendations were made including the need to establish an Implementation Unit operating from the Office of the Prime Minister.
This unit will help to stimulate and guide the government’s investment and development programmes. He said that out of that meeting, a commitment was given to have the Unit up and running by the end of November. Mr. Golding said he was pleased to announce that the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica had agreed to release its Executive Director, Mrs. Sandra Glasgow to take up duties as head of that unit to drive the action plan that has been developed.
He said that Mrs. Glasgow would be based at Jamaica House and would begin working as of this week. The unit will have a Board of Directors made up of private and public sector members and that the Board would be announced later this week.