Don’t play politics with crime, East Portland MP tells Golding

East Portland Member of Parliament Ann-Marie Vaz has hit back at People's National Party (PNP) president Mark Golding over criticism he made against her regarding the state of murders in the parish.

Golding, addressing a divisional conference on Wednesday, lamented the rise in homicides in the parish and accused Vaz of being silent and doing little to address the issue.

READ: Golding chides MP over rise in murders in Portland

Police statistics have revealed that 11 murders have so far been recorded in Portland since the start of the year, an increase over the four recorded for the corresponding period last year.

Stressing that she has always given her support to the police and communities on getting rid of criminality, Vaz accused Golding of playing politics, adding that he should be more concerned about the crime in his constituency.

"PNP president Mark Golding, who is member of parliament for the PNP political garrison that is a central part of the division which sits at the top of the crime statistics for murder, shootings and other violent crimes, should know better than using commentary on the longstanding national problem of criminality as a springboard to scratch for relevance and revive his dismal political fortunes," said Vaz in a statement today.

“It's interesting to note that the St Andrew South Division in which the PNP president's constituency falls leads the country with 92 murders so far this year, which in fact is 800 per cent more murders when compared to East and West Portland, yet Golding has found it within himself to play politics with crime.

Golding's constituency fall in the Kingston Western Police Division, which has fewer murders and shootings than the St Andrew South Division, where Prime Minister Andrew Holness' St Andrew West Central constituency falls.

Up to July 7, there have been 92 murders and 93 shootings in the St Andrew South Division as against 62 homicides and 66 shootings in Kingston Western.

"A percentage increase analysis would suggest widespread lawlessness in the parish of Portland. However, this is because we are generally peaceful people with a record of low crime. So one murder would equate to a 25% increase. The 11 murders so far this year across the entire parish of Portland is the third lowest in Jamaica and we still think it is too high," Vaz said of her constituency.

Vaz said that since being elected she has been in consistent dialogue with residents and the police to ensure peace prevails in the parish.

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