We prefer to be held hostage by soldiers, cops – MoBay mayor
Published:Thursday | January 30, 2020 | 12:17 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Speaking against the background of the ongoing state of emergency (SOE) in western Jamaica, Montego Bay Mayor Homer Davis says he believes that residents of St James are much happier having the soldiers around than being at the mercy of criminals.
“The people of St James would rather be held hostage by the security forces in their own home rather than to be held hostage by criminals,” said Davis while speaking at a recent awards banquet for justices of the peace (JP) and lay magistrates in Montego Bay.
Davis said that he dreaded a return to 2017 levels of crime when several communities were under siege from gangs, sparking record murders topping 330. That wave of violence prompted the Government to impose a zone of special operations in Mount Salem that year and the enforcement of a state of emergency for all but three months in the last two years. The western SOE also blankets Hanover and Westmoreland.
The mayor said that he was optimistic that justices of the peace would play their part in assisting in reclaiming Jamaica from the scourge of violence.
“Crime is one of the many challenges which I am confident will be brought under control in short order,” said Davis, in endorsement of Police Commission Major General Antony Anderson, who was in attendance. He said that both the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Defence Force had the full support of the St James Municipal Corporation.
“There are communities in which you are operating that are having incidents of crime, and you ought to make them known to the police and other members of the security forces because we can only enjoy this beautiful land when we have peace and security in our own community,” said Davis while urging JPs to do more to fix antisocial problems.
Davis’ confidence in the security forces mirrors similar sentiments made by St James Custos, Bishop Conrad Pitkin, who recently called on the Government to re-examine deployments under the SOE.