Chang blames PNP for uptick in murders

Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang says the People’s National Party (PNP) must be blamed for the current upsurge in murders in sections of the island, especially in St James.

According to a media release Chang, who was addressing a conference of the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) affiliate youth arm, Young Jamaica in Montego Bay yesterday, said the PNP’s decision not to support the extension of the State of Public Emergency (SOE) has signalled to criminals that they now have the greenlight to once again to carry out their evil deeds with impunity.

The national security minister argued that the PNP fabricated a narrative of lies and innuendos to justify why they have not supported the extension of the SOEs.

 “The current wave of crime which dampens the country,we see solutions that the country could relate to but the People’s National Party has forced us to discontinue with this anti-crime measure because they used a narrative which was completely wrong based on lies and innuendos and the country needs to understand how it emerged," Chang charged as he addressed the young party faithfuls.

"They (the PNP) are using cheap politics in what is a national problem which is crime which affects people’s lives on a daily basis,” he continued.

Chang, who is also the member of parliament for North West St James, which has seen an uptick in murders in recent days, claimed that police intelligence shows that the murders are being committed by some of the same youths who were detained under the SOE.

“I find it(crime) a very personal thing. I am involved in the ministry where the crime information comes to my desk on a daily basis but apart from that, I am also in a constituency which has one of the highest crime rate and the people who are dying are people I know personally and those who are alleged to be doing the killings, I know them personally as well,” the national security minister told the audience of young Labourities.

“The narrative out there is that the government was sweeping up young black youths from off the streets and locking them up without charging them which was a big lie being propagated by the PNP,” a tough talking Chang asserted.

He argued that the people who are dying in volatile communities were young boys who are oftentimes from poor background. Further, he stated that oftentimes it is innocent parents and family members who were being killed by these hoodlums in reprisal for crimes committed by their relatives.

“What this government sets out to do is to protect each and every individual lives, whether they are from upper St Andrew or Ironshore in St James or from Norwood and Canterbury.

"We consider every life valuable and this is why we have a difference in philosophy between the JLP and PNP,” Chang insisted.

“As Minister of National Security I will ensure that the reduction in homicides in St James and other parts of the country during the State of Public Emergency be maintained, irrespective of what the PNP does,” he promised.   

We want to hear from you! Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169, email us at editors@gleanerjm.com or onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.