Safer Jamaica by year end

The Community Safety and Security Branch, headed by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Steve McGregor, has been tasked to make one community in each of the island’s 19 police divisions safe by the end of the year, starting with Mount Salem in St James.

“You are my first group. All my 19 geographical divisions have been tasked to select a community that we will make safe. It is our intention to make 19 safe communities in Jamaica by the end of this year. And guess what? Mount Salem will be the first one. Yes!” SSP McGregor declared.

“I have the commitment from the permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security that they will be supporting me. So it is not an if, but what I am saying about Mount Salem is going to happen and will work. It will. All we ask of you is to meet us halfway to make the pitch ready for us to play the match.” McGregor was speaking at the zone of special operations community meeting held in Mount Salem, St James, on Sunday.

He pointed out that Mount Salem, where a zone of special operations (ZOSO) has been in effect since Friday, September 1, has to be made safe to provide the template for the remaining 18 communities.

“I am very enthused to know that we have started with Mount Salem. You are going to be seeing me a lot here, so I will be back because we are going to ensure that whichever parish, division, location that we go next, they will be happy for what is happening [in Mount Salem]. I don’t want them to look at this as any bad that is happening to you,” the senior cop underscored.

“It is about fixing our country. Our country is averaging over 1,000 murders a year for the past 13 years. It cannot continue. We must start to make a difference. And this is how we are going to start to make a difference. It will only work if you work with us.” (Jamaica Observer)