CMOC turns to private sector for funding support

By Kimone Witter    

 

The Crime Monitoring Oversight Committee (CMOC) has turned to the private sector for funding support to bolster its communication strategy.

 

Member of the independent body committee, Bishop Garth Minott, recently disclosed to Radio Jamaica News that the oversight body is strapped for cash as the government has not fulfilled its commitment to provide funding.

 

Chairman of the committee, Lloyd Distant, says he is confident that the government will soon release the promised funds, so it can better engage with the public on the progress of reducing crime, violence and corruption in Jamaica. 

 

"There's no organisation or entity in the modern construct that can operate without some amount of funding. When we signed on to the agreement, there was a commitment from the government to provide funding support. To date, that has not come," he acknowledged as he expressed hope that the funding would begin to flow shortly. 

 

Mr. Distant said, in the interim, the private sector will be asked to fill the funding gap. 

 

"The impact here largely is around our communication programme. It's one thing to send out press releases and to have this kind of communication, but to really get all of Jamaica aware of where things are progressing. Let's get out a veranda conversation around what somebody told me. Let us assist you by giving you facts and data. That's what CMOC is here for and the funding support really is to allow us to distill between the anecdotal statements and provide some factual context to how we're doing, how we're progressing in our fight against crime."   

 

The CMOC chairman was speaking Wednesday on The Morning Agenda, on Power 106.