Senate Approves Extension of SOE in St. Andrew South

The Senate on Friday (July 19) approved extension of the State of Public Emergency (SOE) for the St. Andrew South Police Division until October 5, 2019.

In her address, Leader of Government Business and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, said between January 1 and July 2, 2019, the division recorded the highest number of murders, with 94 cases and the highest number of shootings with 98 cases, among all police divisions in the country.

She said the division accounted for 14 per cent of all murders and 15 per cent of all shooting incidents across all police divisions in Jamaica.

Senator Johnson Smith said the figure reflects that there has been a 19 per cent increase in murders and 40 per cent increase in shooting incidents in the division for the corresponding period last year.

“If the rate of murders experienced over that period were allowed to continue without intervention, it’s predicted that it would result in as many as 190 murders in the division and would represent an increase of 28 per cent when compared with the relevant period in 2018 when 148 murders were recorded in the division, already a frightening number of lives lost,” she said.

Senator Johnson Smith said the impact of gang warfare has instilled consistent fear among the residents and has caused significant disruption to the livelihood of citizens in sections of the division.

“Residents are unable to traverse communities freely due to fear of being targeted by gangs or getting caught in cross fire or other altercations,” she noted.

Senator Johnson Smith said the declaration of the state of public emergency has thus far allowed the security forces to conduct operations designed to target and disrupt gangs and organised criminal networks; apprehend wanted persons, seize illegal weapons, ammunition and narcotics; target the proceeds of illegal activities; deter extortion; and reduce freedom of movement of criminal elements.

The State of Public Emergency (SOE) for the South St. Andrew police division was announced by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on Sunday (July 7), 2019.

“In the week July 7 to 13 of this very year, we note the positive result of the division having experienced only one murder and one shooting,” Ms. Johnson Smith said.

She said as operations continue the strategy moving forward will seek to return the division to a state where normal policing can continue to be effectively performed.

In the meantime Senator Johnson Smith pointed out  that the state of emergency is not intended to replace all strategies or plans geared at restoring citizen security.

“It should be clear however that it has been proven indisputable to deliver results by saving lives,” she said.

She noted that areas in which States of  Public Emergency have been declared on the advice of the security forces, lives have been saved, noting that last year alone, St. James experienced a 70 per cent reduction in murders as a result of a state of emergency.

The Minister  said as a result of the tri-parish state of emergency declared again in St. James, but also in Westmoreland and Hanover, when compared to the two months prior to its declaration, each parish has experienced a reduction of murders of 65 per cent, 76 per cent and 56 per cent, respectively.

The SOEs will give the security forces temporary additional powers, including powers of search, arrest and detention.

During the SOEs, the security forces will have the power to search, curtail operating hours of business, restrict access to places and detain persons without a warrant.