KINGSTON, Jamaica— People’s National Party (PNP) Shadow Minister of National Security Fitz Jackson, says the nation’s crime crisis needs an effective plan of action and not politicizing and finger pointing.

Jackson was responded to Prime Minister, Andrew Holness’ criticism of the PNP’s suggestion to target leaders of gangs for prosecution and imprisonment to put a dent in the problem.

 “The Prime Minister is clearly unaware of the well documented facts of the successes of this approach locally and globally. The fact that there are more murders and shootings throughout Jamaica after four years of Prime Minister Holness failed leadership is indisputable,” Jackson said in a statement today.

“… [This] is compounded by the unprecedented levels of corruption from the level of his Cabinet which assisted to embolden dishonesty and disregard for law and order by criminal minded persons.”

Jackson argued that the continued arbitrary detention of thousands of Jamaicans under the States of Emergency (SOE) and its failure to halt the crisis signal the need for a different approach.

“All across Jamaica, people feel unsafe in their homes and communities. They are worried about their children going to school and not coming back to me. Mothers are weeping for their murdered children. The situation is untenable. Apprehending and arresting and convicting perpetrators must be a major part of the solution. We will speak about this without apology,” Jackson said in his statement.

The spokesperson also pointed out that Operation Kingfish, which would be reintroduced by the next PNP government, was established to fight against organized crime, particularly the illegal drug trade.

“Under Kingfish, several organized criminal networks were severely impacted and criminal masterminds were apprehended and locked away,” he said.

Jackson said the focus must be on identifying and arresting criminals and bringing them to book.

“The police must be properly resourced to do this, and the violence plagued communities must be given social support to assist residents in a national process of transformation,” he argued.

Jackson said the best practices of the past, which include the use of special teams, curfews and searches, targeted operations and social intervention along with modern technical tactics and methods must be explored.