Madam Speaker, it is said that a man of wisdom understands that his top priority is to his family. I wish to acknowledge and thank both my immediate family, my wife Paulette and my children Martin and Melissa and my North West St. James family which includes councillors, the Executive Management team, PD workers, my office staff and the constituents. It is your continued support, loyalty and confidence that have allowed me to serve the constituency of North West St James and by extension Jamaica, over these many years.
Madam Speaker, the job of Minister of National Security is one of the most challenging portfolios in the Government, given the propensity for criminal activity and the impact of transnational criminal actors in Jamaica. I wish to extend my sincere appreciation and thanks to our Prime Minister, and Leader, Andrew Michael Holness for his continued confidence in allowing me to execute on our Plan Secure Jamaica, to ensure sustained reduction in all crimes, improve public order and public safety.
I want to further express appreciation to my Cabinet colleagues with whom I have had the privilege of working over these many years. Thanks to my colleague Members of Parliament on both sides of the aisle, and the staff of the Houses of Parliament who facilitate our proceedings and make our creature comforts tolerable.
Thanks to the Hon. Zavia Mayne, my colleague in the political directorate, Permanent Secretary Courtney Williams, the Heads of the Agencies responsible for executing the work of the Ministry of National Security. I refer here to, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), Department of Correctional Services (DCS), Institute of Forensic Science & Legal Medicine (IFSLM), Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), Private Security Regulation Authority (PSRA), Caribbean Regional Drug Law Enforcement Training Centre (REDTRAC), and the Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA), along with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Combined Cadet Corps, for which we have administrative responsibility.