In a statement this morning, Mr Jackson noted the escalation of murders over the weekend in which there were two triple murders and over 18 people killed since Thursday. Mr Jackson said the Minister must respond with an effective policy initiative, which should include additional support for security personnel to combat this monstrous upsurge, which is of great concern to our citizens.

The PNP spokesman said the murders have continued to escalate since the general elections as there has not been sufficient Ministerial attention to public safety and national security. “Notwithstanding the election result, the government should not fool itself into thinking that Jamaicans are satisfied with the government’s performance in the area of national security in general, and murders in particular,” Mr Jackson said. The JLP Administration has maintained a horrible record on crime, he said.

He said up to the week after the general election, 891 people were murdered, which was 4.4% less than in 2019. However, the PNP spokesman said, the last Serious Crimes Report issued by the police a week ago, revealed that murders had increased to 1,133 to date, only 1.8% below the comparable period in 2019. At the current murder rate, therefore, 2020 will surpass 2019, if the Minister and the government continue to pay lip-service and ignore the situation.

Mr Jackson said the killings over the weekend were indicative of this continuous changing environment of ‘creeping’ lawlessness and emboldened criminals, even in deep rural communities where criminal activity was always at the level of petty crimes.

He expressed condolences to all the families who were affected by these senseless killings, particularly an 81-year-old grandmother and two children ages six and ten, who were slaughtered yesterday in Trial Heights in St Catherine. 

Mr Jackson said the citizens of Jamaica expects swift police action from the Holness administration.

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