Senator Calls for Mobile Units to Address Mental Health Needs

Government Senator, Dr. Saphire Longmore is calling for adequately resourced mobile units to be put in place, to respond to the needs of individuals who have been impacted by traumatic circumstances.

“Mental health care is on everybody’s mind and what this has brought to the fore is the need… for a mobile response unit in these circumstances. The demand is great, and the response needs to be urgent and so I am making the call for this on this floor of the Senate at this time,” Dr. Longmore said.

“A mobile unit…can respond to these circumstances where we can go in with the adequately trained staff to see to what needs to be done in these moments, to have the follow-up to ensure that the ripple effect of this trauma does not hurt someone else, as it is known to do,” she said.

Speaking on the motion for adjournment during the sitting of the Senate on June 16, Dr. Longmore, strongly condemned the abduction and killing of eight-year-old Danielle Rowe.

She offered condolences to the family members, classmates and school community of young Danielle and urged Jamaicans to assist the police in solving the murder.

“We are all suffering the pain of the families that have lost their little loved ones to inhumane animals within our society,” she said.

On Thursday, June 8, young Danielle was abducted from the Braeton Primary School in Portmore, St. Catherine where she was a student. She succumbed to injuries inflicted by her abductors in hospital on June 10.

“For whoever knows anything about this case, please let us not let this one go unsolved. I think our children and I think Danielle deserves some answers, so somebody must know something, somebody must have an idea, call crime stop, alert someone to something that might lead to some sense of justice in this case,” the Government Senator said.

Dr. Longmore further urged Jamaicans to do their part in safeguarding the nation’s children.

“It is a parent’s worst nightmare that has materialized and so I urge us a nation to put increased vigilance and attention to our schools and our compounds, remain keen with the eye, alert your children to the dangers that lurk in their innocent lives,” she said.

Senator Longmore said the installation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at schools, as announced by the Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams will strengthen safety and security measures at these institutions.

“This cannot happen too early for me because, we must draw a line for our young people at this point to say [this] will [not be] be tolerated, …. we [do not] want to see another circumstance such as this,” she said.

In the meantime, Senator Longmore reminded Jamaicans that here are more peaceful ways to resolve their conflicts.

“My colleague spoke of a breakdown of the family and what permeates in our society, the issues of poor communication and conflict resolution, whatever is behind all of this, it is little Danielle who has suffered the grave consequence. If you have a disagreement, recognize that you do not have to get violent, recognize that there are more peaceful ways to resolve your differences, do not take it out on someone who is innocent,” she said.

The Government Senator also called for the post of psychologist at the Bustamante Hospital for Children to be filled and urged Jamaicans to use the necessary emergency help lines for mental health support.

In condemning the gruesome attack, Opposition Senator, Damion Crawford proposed several recommendations for the general security of the society and by extension children.

He suggested that CCTVs should be installed on all Government buildings noting that those should be connected to JamaicaEye.

“If it is that all Government entities including schools had camera systems, then that might not only serve to provide evidence, but serve as a deterrent if sufficiently promoted that the likelihood of being seen and by extension the likelihood of being caught will be increased,” he said.

Senator Crawford also called for increased policing of school zones and other areas especially during the period of school dismissal.

“We must also consider that there will be children by design who go home on their own. It therefore means that we can use technology to insist that children not being escorted by an adult, should have the tracking bracelet that would then indicate to a parent once they come off the desired or designated track, that was inputted in this bracelet. You can put the route in your phone, or the app and it immediately sends a text message to the parent, once the child goes off that route,” he said.

He further stated that if this is tied into the Amanda Alert system, then a parent “who perceives this to be a risk immediately sends a message to a police app, then the police can start to track that tracking unit.” He said the bracelets cost approximately US$8.

Senator Crawford also urged parents and guardians to reconsider the type of devices that their children take to schools, as expensive devices oftentimes attract criminals.