Gov't will not seek SOE extension in St Catherine

National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang says the Government has decided against seeking an extension of the state of public emergency (SOE) imposed in St Catherine on June 17. 

The measure is due to expire on Thursday. 

Chang made the announcement in the House of Representatives this afternoon, where he said that the security forces have managed to curtail criminal activities in the parish. 

It came days after the Opposition People's National Party indicated that it would not support the extension, which would have been needed. 

At the time the SOE was declared, the parish had recorded 128 murders which represented a 30 per cent increase year on year.

“The Government has further reviewed the security situation in the parish of St Catherine and on the advice of the heads of the security forces we are satisfied that the declaration of the state of public emergency has allowed the security forces to bring the area under some level control,” Chang said.

“The statute will be reshaped to maintain the current status quo. However, if there's any further change in the situation we'll advise the nation what further steps can be taken if, in fact, it needs to return to a state of public emergency. But at this point we will not ask for an extension and allow the current 14 days to expire,” he added

Chang said the security forces have pledged to use available tools and strategic deployment to maintain the gains. 

For the 10 days preceding the SOE declaration, 15 murders occurred while only four have been recorded since, Chang said. 

Meanwhile, the security minister said both the Government and Opposition have agreed that changes to the emergency powers regulations are needed but that more time is required to ensure that they are in keeping with the constitution.

“We'll now continue to review the regulations. We'll again further examine what has been recommended by the Opposition and seek to come to a set of regulations that can be used where the level of violence increases above the capacity of normal policing,” the minister said.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding said the decision not to seek an extension was sensible given the constitutional issues that need to be addressed. He the government should both impose a Zone of Special Operations in troubled St Catherine communities and table in Parliament promised legislation to target known violence producers. 

Last week, the government tabled regulations needed to operationalise the SOE but the Opposition has said the proposed procedures that deal with detentions and search were not constitutional. 

On Sunday, Golding indicated that the Opposition would not support the proposed regulations. The government would have needed the support of at least one opposition senator to get the extension. 

The government's SOE push in St Catherine has been hobbled by questions of constitutionality, which grew more pronounced as the day the measure was declared, the Constitutional Court also  that previous SOE regulations breached Jamaicans' rights to liberty and freedom of movement. 

Chang says the Jamaica Constabulary Force Act has been used to detain persons under the St Catherine SOE and not the proposed regulations. 

Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson had indicated that there were 12 active gang conflicts taking place in the parish when the SOE declaration was made.

The declaration had followed an upsurge in violence in the Spanish Town area, in particular, where a deadly daylight shooting shutdown activities in the market district. 

Three people were killed in that incident, two of whom were said to be gang members.

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