Security minister stands by 'condoms' statement

WESTERN BUREAU:

Minister of National Security, Robert Montague has hit back at critics who have spoken out against his recent statements that police officers should use condoms if they are not prepared to maintain their children.

"Some people say that the only strategy I have to fight crime is to tell the policemen to use condoms. Well, policemen, use condoms. I will repeat it, because it is a serious thing," a defiant Montague said during his opening address at the Ministry's Conference on Citizen Security, held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James on Thursday.

The conference, hosted under the theme "Creating a Safer and Prosperous Jamaica," was held to engage stakeholders in dialogue on citizen security protection within the context of the Ministry's five-pillar crime management strategy. In outlining his argument, Montague said that children of policemen, who were neglected by their fathers, end up becoming a burden on the State and were at risk for falling into criminal behaviour. At the conference he said, "When I talk that policemen must come out at the Family Court, they get vexed with me. But then the children that they have, when they do not mind them, the taxpayers are burdened. The children have no proper guidance, and then the gangs recruit them."

He also referenced a Sunday Gleaner story where 25 children were allegedly fathered by a policeman who died without leaving a will, which could result in some of those children being denied a share of the cop's estate.

"One policeman have 25 children...what time him have to keep the peace?" Montague asked. "He is taking a 'piece', not keeping the peace," he added, to laughter from the stakeholders attending the conference.

Montague has come under fire since he made his controversial statements in May about policemen using condoms, during which he had asserted that too many cops were before the court for maintenance of their children.

Among Montague's critics was former Minister of National Security, Peter Bunting, who last month chided the current Minister for his utterances.

- C.T.