‘An agnostic approach’

FIVE ADDITIONAL studies have deliberately not been defined ahead of the start of the project. Indeed, the crime issue, as highlighted by Dr Damien King in the project launch’s opening remarks, is complex and needs to be looked at with an agnostic mindset, explaining the exploratory and multifaceted approach which CaPRI is taking towards it.

With this view, the official launch, which was held at the Worthington Building (New Kingston), sought to inform further understanding of the nature of the violent crime problem in Jamaica, towards which four speakers were invited to present different perspectives. The evening provided a platform for members of an audience of over 200 to express their views on the crime issue, which, when combined with the varied perspectives presented by the evening’s presenters, confirmed the notion that further discussion will be critical to informing the focus of the four aforementioned studies. As such, in addition to regular Citizen Security A Yaad Committee meetings, a series of six high-level stakeholder workshops, conducted over the two-year period, will ensure continued collaboration and focus on effective interventions in both crime control and prevention.

‘Transforming Citizen Security A Yaad’ will conclude with the design and implementation of a ‘Crime Scorecard’, which will most likely be managed by the Ministry of National Security. This accountability tool, which will include key performance metrics and deliverables, will enable the tracking of agreed crime-reduction measures, both internally and externally, as it will be made accessible to citizens.