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Parliament votes to extend Denham Town ZOSO until January

Published:Tuesday | September 18, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Holness ... we must show that we have the stamina to sustain the measures that have been working,

Livern Barrett, Parliamentary Reporter

The Zone of Special Operations (ZOSO) in place in the west Kingston community of Denham Town has been extended for another three months.

This means the anti-crime initiative, which was set to end on October 2, will remain in place until January 2 next year.

The extension was supported by lawmakers from both sides of the political divide during today’s sitting of the House of Representatives.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who piloted the motion in Parliament, also attempted to have the state of public emergency imposed in the St Catherine North Police Division extended for another three months.

However, the vote on the extension was postponed until tomorrow as the parliamentary Opposition complained that it was not given enough time and information to prepare for the debate.

Holness, in opening the debate on the extension of the ZOSO in Denham Town, said failure to continue the anti-crime initiative would disappoint the expectations of law-abiding citizens"to the advantage of the criminals."

"The criminals have demonstrated the extreme lengths that they will take against the defenseless. They have demonstrated strong resolve in exploiting the vulnerable at whatever cost," he said.

"Our resolve therefore, Mr Speaker, must be greater than the resolve  of the criminals. And we must demonstrate the resolve to take extraordinary measures...and we must show, as a collective, as a Parliament, that we have the stamina to sustain the measures that have been working,” he said.

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