PRIME Minister Andrew Holness has said that whenever a state of emergency (SOE) is declared there is a lot of activism for the rights of criminals, and alarm because of the projection that the Government will use “exceptional powers”.

Holness lamented that discussions ought to make room to champion the rights of innocent Jamaicans who are being plagued by crime and violence.

“Unfortunately, the conversation has been about the rights of the criminals; the rights of the people who are going to commit the crimes. But very rare do we hear anyone talk about the right to be able to move around freely in your community without the threat of a gangster depriving you of your freedoms of movement, your freedom of association, your freedom to do commerce, your freedom to worship,” Holness said last Thursday during the online programme, ‘Let’s Connect with Ambassador Marks’.

“These are rights that we have to speak about as well, and the Government is firmly bent on protecting the rights of the law-abiding citizens if Jamaica.”

Holness maintained that the use of the SOE is a “very clinically” applied measure.

“In other words, though the tool itself gives broad powers we don’t use all the powers that could ge utilised under a state of public emergency. It’s very targeted, it’s very specific, and it is designed to protect lives, protect livelihood and to protect the human rights of all Jamaicans,” he said.

Holness said a multifaceted approach is necessary to tackle crime, particularly homicides, and noted that the use of emergency powers is just one of a suite of tools that the Government employs.

“As we enter the Christmas season — the first Christmas season post-COVID since the removal of the DRMA [Disaster Risk Management Act] measures — we are expecting a literal explosion in entertainment, in commercial activity, and in movement,” he said, noting that whenever such happens there is an expected increase in crimes, and challenges to public order, traffic and other issues.

“So, in doing our advance planning it is clear that we will need more security forces on our streets to ensure safety and security for the average Jamaican — so your mother going to the market, or your aunt going to the pharmacy, or people just going about their regular business [need this protection] .”

A second consideration for the Government, Holness added, is that the three previous Christmas periods saw an increase in the number of homicides. He stated, however, that the Government has not found a statistical link or any technical explanation as to why that may be the case, “but we certainly have observed it”.

Holness said the Government has also decided that in addition to amassing more security resources through the recruitment of new police officers, it will continue to utilise the powers of an SOE “…to be able to deal with what we see as a real and present danger for increased criminal activity, threat to life and property during this period of time”, he said.