KINGSTON, Jamaica – Leader of the Opposition Andrew Holness says that the Government appears to be incapable of managing crime.

In a release yesterday on the position taken by the Opposition in the discussions which followed Tuesday’s statement in the House of Representatives, by Minister of National Security Peter Bunting Holness said:

“The PNP [is] trying to cover up murders and crime in Jamaica. The old PNP trick of attacking the messenger in the hope that the message will die will not work. We are on to them this time. The facts are incontrovertible. Whenever the PNP is in power murder rises. Lawlessness and disorder increases.

“No one is arguing that crime is not a national problem with many causes and we all have a role. National security like health, education, and all other ministries are the national concerns and we all have responsibility. However, when we elect a government we don’t expect them to turn to the public to say we can’t do anything about crime, it’s an all out responsibility. If that’s the case why have a government?

“Why pay Peter Bunting to tell us that the increase in murders is a mere bump in the road and since then murders have almost double. We all can pray for divine intervention on our own we don’t need a paid Minister of Government to tell us that.

“The PNP has a nerve to talk about a bi-partisan approach to crime fighting. We have facilitated every Bill that has been brought to Parliament to be fast tracked for passage. However, when the greatest opportunity presented itself to erode the criminal networks in Jamaica by extending the state of emergency in 2010, the PNP rejected the very bi-partisanship of which they speak. The PNP have no moral authority to speak about crime given their history and lack of performance in this regard.

“I will not stop talking on the murder issue… If murders were reduced by almost 500 under the JLP government, the public is justified in expecting a continued decrease under the PNP. Instead this is not. Murders are now 24 per cent ahead of what they were last year. This Government simply doesn’t care and is incapable of managing crime.”