We note Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s oft-repeated pledge that his Government is moving in an organised, systematic way to deal with the smuggling and use of guns — tools of choice for Jamaican criminals.

We are encouraged by what seems to be increasing seizures of illegal weapons and ammunition which, if sustained, should over time have a significant positive impact.

Improved intelligence gathering — buttressed perhaps by surveillance technology and a greater willingness by individuals to tell what they know — is presumably making a difference.

Mr Holness reminds us that his Government is working “very closely” with United States authorities to stop gun smuggling and that, “…We are going to get some of those people who are disassembling the guns and putting them into the rice bag, putting them into the soap, and sending them in the barrels…”

He reminds us that more robust anti-gun legislation is being developed which will make possession of an illegal firearm “unprofitable”.

For all of that, though, well-thinking Jamaicans, the prime minister, and his Cabinet colleagues included, agree that unity of purpose — across political lines, embracing all sectors of society — is also badly needed if Jamaica is to bring crime to heel.

This newspaper has argued along those lines for many years.

Yet, as Mr Holness reminded us recently, political consensus on dealing with crime is yet to be achieved.

This newspaper applauds his appeal to the political Opposition to, “Let us create a space in which the treatment of violence is not contested politically and that we share in the victory of overcoming violence…”

The unfortunate truth is that there have been significant opportunities missed down the years.

In that regard, former Prime Minister Mr Bruce Golding has gained considerable respect for his open admission that the decision, decades ago, by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to withhold support for the Values and Attitudes Programme of the 1990s was a mistake.

In truth, that programme — launched by Mr P J Patterson as head of a People’s National Party (PNP) Government of the day in an effort to change behaviour for the better — was sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.

We recall in March 2016 applauding the then newly appointed National Security Minister Mr Robert Montague for pledging to keep his predecessor Mr Peter Bunting’s community-based, anti-crime Unite for Change campaign.

Inexplicably, Unite for Change, as an anti-crime strategy, disappeared after Mr Montague’s pledge.

Also, Prime Minister Holness is consistently reminded of his ill-advised assertion in the build-up to the February 2016 parliamentary election that under a Government led by him Jamaicans would be able to sleep with their doors and windows “open”. By contrast, he appeared to suggest at the time, victory for his political opponents would have meant the continuation of crime.

Mr Holness should know that not just political opponents, but also neutrals, and perhaps even some supporters, recall his assertion then as indicative of ugly, political divisiveness.

It seems to us that Mr Holness would do his push for political consensus a great deal of good, and his own credibility no harm at all, should he publicly retract that damaging comment of years ago.