Most Jamaicans support states of emergency - RJRGLEANER/Don Anderson poll

6:40 pm, Mon March 11, 2019

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File photo showing members of the security forces conduct checks of students' bags in St. James.

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Pollster Don Anderson

An RJRGLEANER Group commissioned poll has found that there was overwhelming support for the government's imposition of states of emergency last year, and the vast majority of Jamaicans would want to see the measure continued.

The poll was conducted between February 15 and March 3, with 1,000 respondents islandwide.

Pollster Don Anderson said the survey found that 90 per cent or nine out of every 10 Jamaicans supported the states of emergency.

"Generally, they saw this as a very important element in the fight against crime. One of the questions we asked was whether people saw the kind of giving up of some of your freedom as a necessity, was it important to do so; and seven out of every 10 persons that we interviewed felt that in order to achieve success against the criminal elements that one had to give up some of the personal kind of benefits, such as freedom of movement and that type of thing," he outlined.

The poll also found that 81 per cent of respondents saw the state of emergency as an effective tool in fighting crime. Mr. Anderson said most Jamaicans also want an islandwide state of emergency as 73 per cent of respondents felt it would be "very useful" as one of the measures to fight crime.

But as the government and opposition continue to wrangle over the decision by the opposition not to allow the continuation of the states of emergency, the latest RJRGLEANER Group poll has found that public opinion is on the government's side.

Mr. Anderson said 78 per cent of respondents supported the government's desire to extend the states of emergency, while only 27 per cent of respondents supported the opposition's position not to extend the measure.

Additionally, Mr. Anderson noted that support for the states of emergency cut across political lines.

"When you have something like 70 per cent support, no political party enjoys anywhere near that measure by itself, so it is logical deduction," he asserted.