Senate approves extension of SOE in St James

The Senate a short while ago approved a 90-day extension for the State of Public Emergency in St James, after a five-hour debate.

Sixteen members voted in favour of the security measure and five were absent.

In piloting the resolution, Leader of Government Business in the Senate Kamina Johnson Smith urged the Opposition to give its support to the Government and not be divided in the fight against crime.

Although the Opposition voted in favour of the resolution, opposition Senator KD Knight said he has delayed his plan to mobilise Jamaicans to demand a crime plan from the government until after the end of the current extension.

His initial deadline was April 30.

Fifty-three members of the House of Representatives yesterday voted in favour of the resolution and the remaining 10 were absent.

The State of Public Emergency in St James was declared on January 18 and it was prompted in response to the ongoing murder crisis in the parish.

In 2017, St James recorded 335 murders, 66 more when compared to 2016.

Statistics from the Jamaica Constabulary Force show that between January 1 and April 30, there were 62 fewer murders in St James when compared with the same period last year.

Its reported that the police have arrested and charged 133 persons, 22 of them for murder, since the State of Public Emergency was declared. 

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