KINGSTON, Jamaica — Despite its launch four years ago in June 2020, the Greenwich Town Zone of Special Operations (ZOSO) in St Andrew continues to see an uptick in violence.

In fact, it is the only one of the seven ZOSOs in force across the island that has seen an increase in crime over the last six months.

This was pointed out by a concerned Member of Parliament, Dr Angela Brown Burke on Tuesday as the House of Representatives approved the extensions of the ZOSOS for another six months.

National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang, who moved the motions to extend the ZOSOs in Greenwich Town, August Town, St Andrew; Parade Gardens in Central Kingston; Denham Town, West Kingston; Norwood, St James; Mount Salem, St James; and Savanna-la-Mar in Westmoreland, said Greenwich Town is the only one experiencing an increase in crime.

Addressing Chang, Brown Burke said: “Minister, this is not a contentious matter. We have long been monitoring what is happening in the seven ZOSOs…I will repeat what I said the last time, minister, that I do believe that violence in the Greenwich Town ZOSO is still far too high, really far too high”.

“And I also therefore believe that something else has to happen, and something also has to take place in the Greenwich Town ZOSO”.

Brown Burke said she has received calls about violent activities in the community as recently as in the past two weeks. She said whenever this happens, “it has the tendency to break the public’s confidence in the level of protection that they’re expecting from the ZOSO…”

“I agree with you that Greenwich Farm (Town) in the last six months has seen small, in absolute numbers, but significant [increases in violence],” Chang responded.

“In fact, it’s the only one that is showing an increase; the average decline [in violent crimes] is some 33 per cent [across the ZOSOs] but the highest is 88 per cent in the Central Kingston [Parade Gardens ZOSO],” Chang said.

The security minister told the House that the Savanna-la-Mar ZOSO has seen a 68 per cent fall in crime, but lamented that the Denham Town ZOSO is “still below” where it should be.

Chang said citizen security remains at the heart of the crime initiative being implemented within the ZOSOs. He said the aim is to remove the vulnerabilities and weaknesses within these volatile spaces.

The minister said the ultimate goal was not to solely reduce the homicide rates in these zones but to renew increased public trust in the state, reduce victimisation, increase human capital development, especially among the youths and create safe and peaceful environments.