Chang credits SOEs, ZOSOs for contributing to murder reduction in 2024

By Clinton McGregor    

 

Minister of National Security Dr. Horace Chang says States of Public Emergency (SOEs) and Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs) were instrumental in reducing the country's murder rate last year.

 

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Chang criticised the position taken by the parliamentary opposition not to support the imposition of SOEs.

 

"States of Public Emergency were designed to save lives and bring down the murder rate quickly. Save lives at the very beginning. As we rebuild and transform our security forces for lasting change, we care about the lives of Jamaicans," he insisted. 

 

According to Dr. Chang, the ruling Jamaica Labour Party had always articulated that the plan of the government was to "use strong legislative measures to reduce the homicide rate while we build out the security forces and initiate strategic social transformation ventures, write laws which take some time themselves, but would save lives [and] create greater safety in the community". 

 

He acknowledged that while progress is being made, "we are not yet anywhere near the victory that some would suggest we are saying".  

 

Dr. Chang said the police will be increasing targeted operations this year to dismantle criminal gangs. The government, he said, has been working alongside the force as they focus on deterrence which is designed to reduce crime even before criminal apprehension takes place. 

 

Still, some 300 people have been identified as being associated with violence. He said several of the 300 suspects have been arrested, others have fled the island and some were fatally shot during reported confrontations with the police.

 

 

Meanwhile, Opposition Spokesman on National Security Peter Bunting has sought to urge Police Commissioner Dr. Kevin Blake to stick to traditional policing and move away from the imposition of States of Public Emergency as a crime fighting tool.

 

According to Mr. Bunting, the reduction in murders in 2024 is a direct result of the police resorting to traditional policing, targeting gangs and gang leaders and criminal networks.

 

He argued that the abuse of States of Public Emergency was a major failure that was used as a political relations gimmick by the administration.

 

Mr. Bunting maintained that the opposition will not support the use of SOEs to police the island.

 

"The opposition feels vindicated because the last two years, which have seen a reduction, are the two years in recent memory where the serial and routine use of states of emergency has ceased. And we had long advocated that not only was it unconstitutional, but it was ineffective. So I am hopeful that under this current Commissioner, that he will continue doing the traditional professional policing work," he said, calling the use of SOEs a "lazy man approach to policing" that resulted in many youth being detained which led to them losing their jobs. 

 

Mr. Bunting also urged the authorities to focus on schools which he said are fertile grounds for gang recruiters. 

 

"You have to start school-wide positive behaviour interventions and supports. You need to sort of give our entire school population that basic resocialisation. Then you identify who are problem students and who are vulnerable either because they don't have the support at home, there are some learning challenges, there may be mental health issues.

 

"You need secondary and tertiary level interventions for those. You need counsellors. And as I said, it's a big investment. But it's a smaller investment than if you leave them to the gangs to recruit and the gangs to complete their socialisation education," he contended.