MONTEGO BAY, St James — A war of words erupted at the monthly meeting of the St James Municipal Corporation as councillors on opposite sides of the aisle disagreed over the efficacy of states of public emergency (SOEs) as a crime-fighting tool. It is a discussion that has also raged among politicians at the national level.

In St James on Thursday, Councillor Michael Troupe (People’s National Party, Granville Division) and Councillor Charles Sinclair (Jamaica Labour Party, Montego Bay North East Division), crossed swords.

The verbal tussle came after Sinclair and his compatriot, Councillor Dwight Crawford (Spring Gardens Division), praised the police after a presentation which showed continued decline in serious crimes within the parish.

“If the Government did stop declare state of emergency, and emergency, and emergency and allow the police to do their work, we would have been celebrating a long time,” Troupe declared.

“But the Government keep on demonstrating that the tool they have in the box is state of emergency. It’s about 18 they have declared and the police dem block up there so, block up there so, and that had a balloon effect,” he argued.

He continued along that line, repeating arguments often made by those against the use of SOEs in the way the Government employed them. Troupe lashed Sinclair, a Government senator, for voting for the use of SOEs but Sinclair rattled off numbers alluding to the lives saved to buttress his view that he had made the right decision.

He reminded Troupe that, at one point, he himself had expressed alarm at the crime levels.

“People were being murdered on Gloucester Avenue, in Sam Sharpe Square, Tucker, Barnett Street, Clock. When people were firing gunshots at dem time dere, Councillor Troupe, in fact you called Granville the murder capital of Montego Bay and you wouldn’t even come out of your yard,” Sinclair said.

The exchange between the two men became even more heated. A particularly pointed barb by Sinclair had Troupe daring him to produce photos he claimed to have in his possession.

“Show it! Show the picture so I can sue you! Show it,” Troupe yelled.

Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon attempted to regain control of the meeting.

“Members, members,” he appealed. “Let me close off this section.”

Troupe squeezed in a final jibe.

“What happened to wanted man inna Flanker? Sit down!” he told Sinclair.

However Sinclair, who was still on the floor, went back to his original point — that SOEs had served a purpose.

“What it is you are experiencing in Montego Bay right now, there had to be certain things cauterised and it was cauterised,” he insisted.

“You had improvements that had to be done and they put in plans. That is what is giving us the results, the hard-working efforts of the JCF. So don’t bother come here with the little foolishness. Some of you just dunce!” Sinclair scoffed.