Councillor Kerry Thomas speaking during the St James Municipal Corporation monthly meeting on Thursday.
PNP councillor stops short of outright support of SOEs
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Though refusing to blatantly throw his support behind the Government-imposed states of public emergency (SOEs), Councillor Kerry Thomas (People’s National Party, Mount Salem Division) is calling for a “non-partisan approach” to fighting crime across the country.
“Crime is a monster that affects us all and… sometimes the way I see [us] going about it in this country on a partisan approach, I think as a people and as leaders we all need to change that,” he said during last Thursday’s sitting of the St James Municipal Corporation’s monthly meeting.
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“Whether SOE [or] ZOSO, the point is that Jamaican lives are being lost and we need to reduce it. I think it will take all hands on deck to get our country to that place where it needs to be,” the councillor added.
To ensure that lives are saved, Thomas said he believes it is necessary for crime fighting to be seen as an issue that impacts all of Jamaica, and not merely viewed from a political perspective.
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“Whatever the situation is, I think we all within this country need to take a far more responsible approach and recognise that while the few make decisions, the majority suffers,” he said.
He continued, “I am looking for us to have that approach in the way we address crime in this country because it is affecting Jamaicans and we need to find a non-partisan approach. Whoever or whatever gets the job done, we need to focus on it to start saving lives in this country.”
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Thomas was responding to a call from Councillor Mark McGann (Jamaica Labour Party, Somerton Division) for citizens to support the Jamaica Constabulary Force and its crime-fighting measures.
“We should support the police and the military. The job is to save lives. If this is what the police say will save lives in the short term then the citizens must stand behind them. When I say citizens it also includes the persons that are aspiring and may never reach a political leadership role,” McGann said.
Obviously impressed by Councillor Thomas’s utterances, Mayor of Montego Bay Councillor Leeroy Williams asked if it meant he was in support of the controversial crime-fighting strategy.
“Can I put you on the spot, councillor? Are you saying that the Opposition should have supported the SOE?” the mayor questioned.
In a guarded response Thomas maintained that he believes the “people in this country need to do whatever is necessary to reduce the crime rate”.
“I take that as an indirect answer,” Mayor Williams responded.
