Montego Bay Chamber again supports calls to extend Enhanced Security Measures (Montego Bay, Jamaica – December 12, 2018)

The Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce & Industry continues to maintain its position that it is unable to support the removal of the Enhanced Security Measures in St James, which is now slated to end January 31, 2018, without a clear suitable replacement. We again implore the Houses of Parliament to work together to get this done.

The tremendous work of the joint security forces, since the advent of the ESM, in reducing the crime levels is of no small measure and is lauded by the Chamber.

In our support of the extension in April 2018, we were of the strong view that the relentless collaborative and intelligent crime fighting since the ESM, was necessary for at least another six to twelve months to demonstrate to criminals that we are unambiguous about eradicating this monster. Business interest and the citizens of St James are of the strong view that we must never return to the horrific conditions of lawlessness which were experienced pre-ESM.

In the circumstances and in light of the considered view of the joint security forces that a further three months extension of the current ESM is required, the Chamber calls on our Houses of Parliament to support.

The Chamber urges that during this time:

  • Strategies are formulated in exploring ways for earliest possible transition away from the ESM but into a continued effective collaborative policing by our security forces that will improve further on current results. The ESM cannot be a long term strategy.
  • The intelligence gathering improves to allow for more judicious decisions to detain and arrest