KNOCKPATRICK, Manchester — Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Friday argued that criminals are taking pleasure in the political division over the approach towards tackling crime, and suggested that when the current state of emergency (SOE) expires the Government will give serious thought to implementing another.

“The [existing] SOE comes to an end in a few days. The SOEs have been very effective in reducing murders. There are those who are critical of the SOEs. There are those who, for various reasons, would like to see that there is cooperation on both sides of the [political] aisle in the fight against crime. I, too, would want to see cooperation and support,” he said while addressing a social housing programme handover ceremony in Knockpatrick, south-west of Mandeville, on Friday.

“We will continue to hold out hopes that there can be a bipartisan approach to solving crime, but in the middle of this organised criminal activity where the criminals relish whenever there is a divide as to how we should treat with crime, they are continuing their criminal acts. They are robbing and killing and maiming innocent people,” he said.

“We can’t stop our efforts to protect you, we have to keep on persevering,” added Holness.

The prime minister’s comments were in reference to the Opposition’s recent stance to not support the extension of SOEs on what it said were constitutional grounds.

Holness suggested that the Government would reimpose the security measure when it expires next week.

“I want to give you the assurance that when the SOEs expire that the Government will seriously and carefully consider the application of a new state of public emergency to ensure that we can save more lives. We want you to be able to enjoy the Christmas season and we want to see you in 2023 so we are going to do everything possible to ensure that,” he told his audience.

Holness pointed to recent crimes in Manchester, including a double murder and armed robberies.

“I ask you to just cast your mind back a few years ago and you would immediately recall that there were similar incidents that occurred, not just in Manchester, but in Clarendon and in St Elizabeth where organised criminal gangs carried out certain activities to include robberies — sometimes very brazen — in broad daylight, extortion and housebreaking,” he said.

Soldiers, he added, have been deployed to increase surveillance and operations in Manchester.

“There are organised criminal gangs operating right across Jamaica that are engaged in these activities, and coming closer to Christmas our intelligence is showing that these activities are increasing — which is why we decided to include the parish of Manchester in our security operations,” he said.

“I am aware that the Jamaica Defence Force has increased its presence and its operations in the parish. Certainly, they have been conducting exercises within the town of Mandeville itself… I want to make it clear to the criminals that we are going to be going full force against them, and I want to give the law-abiding, peaceful citizens of Manchester the assurance that we are going to keep you safe and secure — particularly in this Christmas season,” added Holness.