Chang insists Gov't and Opposition have broad consensus on crime

National security minister, Dr Horace Chang, says while there has been no formal meeting in recent weeks with the parliamentary Opposition, there is broad consensus on several crime-fighting initiatives put forward by the Government. 

Chang said that there has been dialogue with the Opposition “over the year”, however, there was a “breaking point of consensus” on a critical element. That element is the use of states of public emergency. 

He said there has been a broad consensus on the reform of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, in terms of training, expansion and equipment. 

“When we get into legislation to manage hardened criminals we get the issue of the constitutional limits that we are faced with,” said Chang, who was speaking at Wednesday morning's post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in St Andrew. 

“The lawyers are discussing it, but it's not only a matter of agreement. We had an agreement before the election, which indicated clearly we could go for states of public emergency when the numbers exceeded 32 per 100,000. That has broken down,” he added. 

He said that the Government and Opposition must now find common ground on how hardened criminals can be intercepted and removed from communities. 

He said the State is challenged to find legitimate ways of separating them and building cases within the time required, but that doing that raises questions about how far the boundaries can be pushed where the constitution is concerned. 

He said that the Government is exploring all legal avenues. 

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) on Tuesday said that it has not seen any Vale Royal talks nor has the public been advised of any “behind closed doors conversations” to take the country towards consensus on crime-fighting measures.

It said citizens are living in fear and anxiety and that it has been patient and constructive in supporting the nation's leaders, “but this situation is now becoming untenable and is taking a serious psychological and physical toll on us all”.

But Opposition Leader Mark Golding has slammed the organisation, insisting that it has been reluctant to call out the Holness administration for its reported failure to tackle the country's crime monster.

Golding said the PSOJ has been on a crusade around consensus on crime despite there not being a lack of common ground on policy.

“I'm not sure why the PSOJ is fixated on this issue and almost like they are trying to say it's up to the Opposition to achieve consensus,” Golding argued on Tuesday. 

“We have always been in favour of Vale Royal talks. We have always sought to be proactive and helpful at CMOC (Crime Monitoring and Oversight Committee). We have been active at CMOC. It is the Government which has treated CMOC as something they don't believe in.”

- Kimone Francis

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