Don Anderson
The latest RJR Gleaner Group Don Anderson poll has found that there is overwhelming public support for the State of Emergency which was declared in St. James in January of this year.
The poll, which was conducted from February 22 to 26, has a margin of error of plus or minus three per cent.
"Nine out of every ten persons that we interviewed supported the State of Emergency that was imposed. Eighty-nine per cent, to be exact, said they were in support of the particular situation," Mr. Anderson revealed.
Respondents in the poll of 1,070 people were also asked about the timing of the State of Emergency. According to Mr. Anderson, 58 per cent of people "felt that (the State of Emergency) was late in coming, it should have been done earlier."
But there was great support for extending the State of Emergency to other areas.
"Eighty-nine per cent of all persons that we interviewed said that they believe that the State of Emergency should be extended to other parishes. Should it be extended islandwide? Sixty-nine per cent said 'yes'. So, by far, the majority - seven out of ten persons roughly - said they believe that it should be extended islandwide," said the pollster, noting that the difference in numbers suggests more people would prefer the State of Emergency being extended to specific areas rather than islandwide.
Crime reduction
The RJRGleaner Group Don Anderson poll also sought views on the likely impact of the State of Emergency in reducing crime.
The majority of persons, or 67 per cent, of those interviewed said 'yes', "the State of Emergency could, in fact, impact the level of crime and could, in fact, reduce the level of crime... Twenty-two per cent said 'no'," Mr. Anderson outlined.
Meanwhile, the effectiveness of the police force in leading the fight against crime was another issue put before the public.
"Thirty-one per cent of all persons interviewed felt that the police was doing a good job in the circumstances...Conversely, 63 per cent of all persons interviewed said they did not think that the police was effectively leading the crime fight," he said.
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