FLANKER, St James — National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang has defended Government spending on the current state of public emergency in St James, chiding Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips for raising the issue.

“My first response would be, one, no Government can place a value on any Jamaican life. It is immoral and unethical to try and put a money value on any citizen’s life,” Dr Chang said, while speaking to members of the media in Flanker, St James, yesterday.

“While you could not predict or expect it to happen, but based on the figures that we have, you could say we have saved over 113 lives in St James this year already. That is not something you can place a money value on,” he added.

While ata People’s National Party national executive meeting in Kingston on Sunday, Dr Phillips questioned whether the best value for the country’s anti-crime efforts was being had from the state of emergency. The Opposition leader reportedly said that taxpayers have been paying $30.6 million per month, or just over $210 million, on the state of emergency since it started in January.

“There is no question that the amount of money spent is justified, has had positive results, and if it costs more, we would have spent it,” Dr Chang said, indefence of the Government’s spending.

“Montego Bay, in particular, is very pleased with what is happening. And, as I said, once we have finished this phase in terms of state of emergency, we will have in place the infrastructure and the security forces, as well as the kind of other activities that we are doing in the zones of special operations — in terms of social intervention and activities for young men — to ensure the gains that we have made will continue,” he said. “And, most importantly, the confidence in the security forces will remain and, therefore, the dialogue [needed] between the community and the security forces to ensure that we don’t have the wanton criminality that took place over the last three or two years.”

Two weeks ago, Montego Bay Mayor Homer Davis, in calling on the Opposition and civil society to support an extension of the state of public emergency in St James, had stated that between January and July, there had been a massive reduction in murders in the parish.

“I am overjoyed to report that from January 19 to today, July 14, 2018, there has been a whopping 66.88 per cent decrease in murder in this parish, compared to the same period last year. For this period, there have been 52 murders compared to 157 murders last year, which is 105 murders less. Within this period last year, there was a murder every 32 hours,” the mayor said.