Jackson, PS tussle over crime-fighting law

PERMANENT SECRETARY in the Ministry of National Security, Dianne McIntosh, was yesterday forced to defend her staff after an irate opposition member of parliament expressed strong dissatisfaction with the work of the ministry.

The spat stemmed from dissatisfaction from Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee Chairman Dr Wykeham McNeill that ministry officials were unable to provide details on the crafting of the Security Enhanced Measures Act, which was seen as a substitute for the various states of emergency declared across the country.

“The legislation, we had expected, would act as a bridge, so we did not have to use a state of emergency in this regard. We could get the effective tools out of what is in the state of emergency and put them in the Enhanced Security Measures, [but] it has not really progressed to the point we wanted,” the PAAC chairman lamented.

But McIntosh said the act was being worked on by the National Security Council under the guidance of the Attorney General’s Chambers and she “did not have anything more to say” about the progress.

Fitz Jackson, a leading voice on the committee, however, believed that the ministry should have been able to advise the committee on its development.

“If after two years, the Ministry of National Security and the Government telling the people of Jamaica that they are so busy, so caught up with other things, that they cannot develop this piece of legislation, it is saying that the state of emergency is a preferred means for fighting crime, regardless of what it does to people’s normal life,” Jackson stated.

“It is an indictment on the ministry that they have failed to do this after such a long time. How much more time does the Government need to restore the civil liberties of ordinary persons?” he added.

But McIntosh appeared to have taken offence with the declaration from Jackson.

“The Ministry of National Security is doing, has done, everything possible in the time with all the investment commitment that has been made,” McIntosh said.

“In cases of extreme emergencies and national situations, it is not unusual for the attorney office to lead on certain things, so I would like you to separate that from the work the civil servant does in the ministry and the collaborations that we have done to keep our first responders on the job.”

NOT IDLING

McIntosh said the ministry has put out several bits of legislation, including the Proceeds of Crime Act, the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency Act, and the Firearms Act, in the 20192020 financial year.

“We are not sitting idly down. It takes 40 years to do some things that have not been done – it’s a new baseline – and it has taken us a whole new paradigm shift,” she said. “It doesn’t take one year to transform and to build capacity, so you need to understand that,” she said.

But Jackson shot back: “With all due respect, with your ministry or the other, regardless of how much is being done – I know you work hard – but at the end of the day, the question must be asked, ‘Is how hard we are working satisfactory?’”

“So yes, we’re working hard, but we are not getting the results we want.”