KINGSTON, Jamaica – Member of Parliament for St Andrew Eastern Fayval Williams, says more CCTV cameras will be installed in her constituency to aid the police in identifying criminals who prey on residents and students.

“On the issue of crime, unfortunately, we are not immune to persons preying on our students. There are many hundreds of students living in St Andrew Eastern and as they traverse the streets, unfortunately, sometimes they are robbed.

“We are getting more cameras installed; that has allowed the police to identify persons much faster. But there is still work to be done, especially in installing cameras at major intersections in order to help with detecting who the perpetrators are in many of these instances,” she said.

Williams, who is also minister of education and youth, made the remarks during her contribution to the 2023/24 State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

The minister commended the residents and police in the constituency for their vigilance.

“Many of the communities form WhatsApp groups that I am in, and I’m amazed at the power of these WhatsApp groups. Residents watch out for each other for unusual movements, and because the police from Matilda’s corner are in these WhatsApp groups, the response is excellent when the residents bring to the fore an issue. Their vigilance has averted many situations. Many communities are calling for security cameras and I have committed to making this happen,” she said.

Meanwhile, Williams informed that work continues across the constituency to remove zinc fences and replace them with block and steel structures.

“Zinc-fence removal finds resonance across my constituency. Persons want zinc fences removed and replaced with block and steel. This adds pride to residence and makes the community look and feel like it ought to. I will continue to take down zinc fences and replace them with block and steel,” she assured.

– JIS