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| Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett said there was a critical need for the strengthening of the synergies and the partnerships between communities and the tourism industry, in order to "drive a wedge in the monster of crime." | |
KINGSTON, Jamaica, June 11, 2008 - Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett says crime is having an adverse effect on the nation's tourist industry.
"Crime, in my mind is the single most debilitating factor, the one area that is worrying to me beyond anything else, and I must tell you that the fuel crisis is not as worrying to me as crime. The turmoil in the aviation industry is not as worrying to me as crime," he said, addressing participants at the recent Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) 47th Annual General Meeting.
The Minister said there was a critical need for the strengthening of the synergies and the partnerships between communities and the tourism industry, in order to "drive a wedge in the monster of crime."
"It is when we make the communities so embracing of tourism and so responsive to what tourism is doing for them, that they feel a zealousness about protecting it and saving it from the monster of crime. It is when the community will say no to any suggestion of attacking a tourist or anybody for that matter. More importantly, it is when the community will flush out those who are determined to do injury to the process, because they know that there is a benefit accruing to them as a result of the industry," Mr Bartlett emphasised.
Meanwhile, President of the JHTA Wayne Cummings echoed similar sentiments and deep concern about the negative effects of crime on the tourist industry.
"I don't care which Commissioner you have, I don't care which Minister of National Security you get, even though both are important, if Jamaicans don't decide to take back Jamaica (from the criminals), then tourism, manufacturing, and other such industries are doomed," he said.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin has highlighted four main areas of crime fighting that should reduce crime, build citizen confidence in the Police, and strengthen the human capacity in the Force.
These include the dismantling of criminal networks, where persons involved in criminal activities are caught and punished; increased policing, which involves cordons and searches; curfews; and community policing, as a means to engage communities, so that their confidence level in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) can be raised.
"The long term sustainable reduction of crime and violence in the priorities outlined will have to work hand in hand with other partners, including the community. It will depend greatly on citizen participation and that is why we are driving forcefully, the issue of community policing. It involves stop and search and police personnel involved in community affairs, not only when there is a flare up in criminal activities, but even when things are calm," the Commissioner said.
Mr Lewin argued that the police and the people have the capacity to defeat all the criminal elements in the society, but warned that this could only be achieved when respect and trust are maintained on both sides.
"We must have a new phase of policing in Jamaica where we are professionals, relatively corrupt free, and citizen focused because it is in working with citizens that we are going to achieve our aim. One of the things that will be coming is, more open fora with the local police where citizens demand answers from the Area Commanders, and have dialogue, as we seek to be accountable to the people," the Commissioner said.
He also pointed out that serious attention must be paid to the quality of manpower in the JCF and the technology available to fight crime.
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