Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has sought to assure entertainment promoters that the Government wants greater understanding and collaboration between them and the police to ensure that events across Jamaica are safe.

“As I’ve been moving around, one of the issues that keep coming up is the security forces allowing parties to go on… And I keep saying to the promoters that there is no institutional bias against keeping the events,” Holness said last week during an Area Three police update covering Clarendon, Manchester, and St Elizabeth.

He was addressing concerns from residents about restrictions placed on parties due to curfews and other enforcement measures. The concerns have been especially prominent as the country enters the summer entertainment season.

“The challenge that we are facing is that much of the crime and many of the murders are being committed or taking place within the entertainment space, whether it is a party, street dance, a bar or at a ‘nine night’,” he pointed out.

The prime minister said that addressing the issue requires honest dialogue and meaningful collaboration between the entertainment community and law enforcement.

“There has to be some kind of understanding between the promoters and the police as to how we’re going to work together to make local entertainment spaces safer,” he explained.

Holness cautioned that without this cooperation, the country risks losing the hard-won gains made in reducing crime — gains that directly benefit communities and businesses alike.

“It makes no sense to reopen events only to see all the progress we’ve made wiped out overnight; that would ultimately hurt the very businesses we’re trying to support,” he reasoned.

Underscoring the Government’s recognition of entertainment as a vital part of Jamaican life and the economy, the prime minister sought to dispel the misconception that authorities are trying to shut down events.

“I want the people who are in the entertainment space, who are the promoters and who keep the parties, to understand that the Government is not against the parties,” he said.

“What we want is to develop a partnership and understanding where entertainment is seen as a safe space,” he continued.

To begin this process, he proposed a formal meeting with stakeholders in the region.

“I think it may be necessary to bring in all the party promoters and the relevant stakeholders and let us have a conversation about how we’re going to make entertainment the genuine safe place that it ought to be,” said Holness.

He also commended the Area Three police for their outstanding performance in reducing murders by 56 per cent, compared to the same period last year, and encouraged all stakeholders to build on this momentum by working together to make Jamaica’s entertainment spaces safe, vibrant, and community-friendly.