Two years since a national consensus on crime was accepted by the Government and the Opposition, 14 primary deliverables are at risk of not being achieved by the September end timeline established.

Of the 30 targets expected to be met within this time frame, only 11 have been successfully delivered to date.

According to a July 2022 status report of the Crime Consensus Monitoring and Oversight Committee (CMOC), the timelines for three targets have been reset; 12 are red, meaning the timelines have been missed without satisfactory justification; two are amber, meaning they are lagging behind and are likely to miss the agreed timeline; and four are green, meaning that they are on track to being met.

The inability to meet these targets may hamper the National Crime Consensus achieving the ultimate objective of reducing crime, violence, and corruption in Jamaica. This is expected to be done by creating a national programme of initiatives and actions to transform Jamaica to become a safe, secure and investment-friendly society.

Stakeholders, as outlined in the report, have expressed impatience with the slow implementation progress and have demanded greater visibility from CMOC.

In its work to put in place this national programme, CMOC has the mandate to monitor the compliance and progress of the responsible parties in completing their deliverables. CMOC Chairman Lloyd Distant Jr said he is concerned that some of the deliverables, which are key to ensuring the desired outcome of a reduction in crime, may not be met.

Speaking at a Rotary Club of Downtown Kingston meeting on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, Distant stressed that there are key issues which must be rapidly resolved in order to achieve a significant and sustained reduction in crime.

He pointed out, for example, that key legislation such as the anti-gang legislation needs to be amended.

“Three years ago, we had one gang that was in the courts [which] got off carte blanche because there were gaps in the anti-gang legislation. There is an urgency to implement new adjustments and changes to the legislation,” he said.

CMOC’s status report further stated that the performance under the legislative reform agenda continues to lag behind schedule.

While six pieces of legislation identified as being critical were passed in 2021, little noted progress has been made since. The Firearms Act remains before a joint select committee of Parliament; the policy position on emergency powers, unexplained wealth orders and bribery remain outstanding; and new timelines are required for the outstanding items on the legislative agenda.

The report stated, however, that the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs has submitted recommendations to the Cabinet for changes to the legislative review process aimed at improving efficiency.

In the meantime, Distant highlighted the correctional services as another area of concern, noting that in September last year the Department of Correctional Services had presented a very comprehensive list of initiatives and programmes to be implemented to transform and improve the standards by which they operate. The CMOC has since been awaiting a more detailed Strategic and Operational Plan.

“Twelve months later we are still waiting on them to present an action plan…We had expected that from June [this year],” he said, adding that CMOC has written to the Ministry of National Security requesting an update.

Distant said it is anticipated that an update will be provided when CMOC invites the Minister of State for National Security Zavia Mayne to the body’s next meeting in September.

Turning to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Transformation programme, Distant made note of the JCF’s plan which highlights six areas of focus.

The status report stated that the CMOC continues to register its satisfaction with the progress made in several areas covered under the JCF transformation programme with four of the six targets either being completed or well advanced.

It further noted that the other two items, both relating to technology within the force, continue to be delayed, primarily due to fiscal constraints.

“The CMOC is particularly concerned with these funding limitations as they are critical to the modernisation of the JCF,” the report read.

At the same time, while CMOC is seeking achieve its medium- and long-term deliverables by the end of September, it is also aiming to now broaden the existing consensus by incorporating short-term initiatives to reduce crime.

Distant said that by deepening the consensus, the body wants to “get as granular as possible in measuring the deliverables and expectations of the Government… so that we are identifying things that are delivering to the ultimate objective [of mitigating crime]”.

On August 3, 2020, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, the then leader of the Opposition Dr Peter Phillips and 15 primary stakeholder groups, signed the National Consensus on Crime Memorandum of Understanding which outlined the steps that must be taken for a sustainable reduction in crime, inclusive of milestones and agreements on a monitoring and reporting mechanism.

The consensus consists of eight pillars and 44 specific deliverables.

CMOC is an independent body bringing together non-partisan stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, academia, and the political directorate. It provides an independent overview of the efficacy and efficiency of the programmes agreed through the process of national consensus and keeps the public engaged on the progress of reducing crime, violence and corruption in Jamaica.