Golding lauds Gov't for its anti-crime drive

Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has linked a recent decline in Jamaica's murder rate to his administration's assault on crime and violence.

At a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) North West St James constituency meeting on Sunday, Golding declared that as a result of the Government's anti-crime drive, 70 murders were recorded in June, a drop from the average of between 135 and 145 homicides per month.

"You know what I said to the commissioner of police and the chief of staff the last time I met with them? I said, "The same way we used to look at the 135 and said, we have to pull that down. Well, rub out the 135 out of your brain now, look at 70. Seventy is now your 135, seventy is what we have to bring down now'," the prime minister told the audience.

Golding also said the Government would sustain the effort against crime, despite criticism from the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) and other interest groups.

He said that law-enforcement officers will be allowed to do their duty in fighting crime, no matter which communities criminals come from or which political party those communities are affiliated with.

"This crime business cannot be fought as a PNP or JLP delineation," he announced. "And, we are going to confront it with all of the will and resources we have," he charged.

"You could fix the economy till it is perfect, (Tourism Minister) Ed Bartlett could bring two times the amount of tourists here. If you don't get crime and violence under control, the economy cannot go where it's supposed to go," the prime minister said.

The constituency meeting ended a three-day visit by Golding to the western city of Montego Bay.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com