KINGSTON, Jamaica — People’s National Party (PNP) spokesman on national security Fitz Jackson says the brazen murder of a businessman today on Church Street in the busy business district of Montego Bay, St James, where a State of Emergency (SOE) is in effect, is deeply troubling. 

This, he said, adds to the continued barefaced attacks on citizens in the light of day, despite the presence of the SOE.

The PNP spokesman said another man was killed in a similar fashion last week in the Ironshore community in St James, within the parameters of the SOE check point. He said the crime was committed in close proximity to the venue where Jamaica was hosting the Regional Energy Conference.

Jackson noted that in February alone 123 people were murdered, compared to 110 in January. He noted further that since the start of the year some 233 Jamaicans have been killed compared to 209 last year and that the SOE areas have seen some 125 murders since the start of 2020.

“This is deeply disturbing as murders are being committed in an area where a SOE has been declared for nearly two years. It is even more alarming because regional and international events normally enjoy exceptional security arrangements. These murders place Jamaica’s reputation as a conference destination in jeopardy,” Jackson said.

 “The country is owed an explanation by the commissioner of police as to why, notwithstanding a state of emergency, he has not been effective in controlling the situation in Montego Bay,” he added.

The party said developments like these further confirm the view of the opposition that the SOEs are ineffective from their extensive overuse.