THE Government intends to create and table enhanced security measures legislation in Parliament this year, Governor General Sir Patrick Allen revealed yesterday, as he outlined the Administration’s policies and programmes for the new parliamentary year.

The measure was among a raft of other legislation aimed at creating or enhancing legal framework across several sectors.

“It must be noted that this Act requires focused unity of purpose, as we must speak with one voice,” the governor general said.

The Government suffered a major blow to one of the enhanced security measures which it implemented over the past year when the Opposition rejected an extension of the states of public emergency (SOE) in St James, St Catherine North Police Division, and parts of the Corporate Area. The SOE for St Catherine North expired on January 2, sections of the Corporate Area on January 9, and on January 31 in St James.

Soldiers have, however, remained on the streets with the police conducting spot checks.

The Opposition refused to support the resolution, arguing that further extensions were unconstitutional.

Following talks with the heads of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) at Vale Royal in December, Prime Minister Andrew Holness assured that the Government’s motivation to cripple crime had not been diminished, and that the security forces would work even harder.

In January, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang told residents of troubled communities in St James that their safety would not be compromised. He pointed out that new barracks have been constructed adjacent to Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay to house the second battalion of the JDF, which was previously based at Up Park Camp in Kingston.

The other enhanced security measure — the Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO) — remains in place in Mount Salem, St James, and Denham Town in Kingston Western.

When he appeared before the Internal and External Affairs Committee of Parliament in January to respond to questions about the SOE and the ZOSO, police chief Major General Antony Anderson suggested that there may be space for the creation of halfway measures between normal policing and enhanced operations.

“The Zone of Special Operations legislation is largely designed to take a specific community from both high crime and violence but also a lot of social deficit to a situation where that community can operate normally with normal structures and leadership, and so forth… it’s really a community transformation legislation,” General Anderson said.

“Whether we can devise a scheme of enhanced measures that are somewhere in-between normal and the state of emergency is something that I think should be looked at, because we are talking about situations that we see coming now, situations where we need enhanced measures but you don’t necessarily want to declare a state of emergency,” he added.

Yesterday, the governor general also outlined a number of other pieces of legislation that are aimed at bolstering “Plan Secure Jamaica”, which will target a reduction in murders below the regional average of 16 per 100,000 within the next 10 years.

They include the Police Act, which will provide for the modernisation and transformation of the Jamaica Constabulary Force; the National Security Council Act, which will establish the National Security Council in law; a Bill for the merger of the Police Services Commission and the Police Civilian Oversight Authority to facilitate the development of one oversight body responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the police; and amendments to the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations) Act, which is now before a Joint Select Committee of Parliament.

He said also that the regulations to the Major Organised Crime and Anti-corruption Agency Act are currently being prepared, as well as amendments to the Firearms Act to strengthen the legislation in keeping with international standards; and amendments to the Proceeds of Crime Act for greater effectiveness.