AS THE BLOODLETTING CONTINUES, SECURITY MINISTER ASSURES NATION “WE DON’T NEED TO PANIC RIGHT NOW”

DESPITE the daily reports of murders across the island, Security Minister Peter Bunting says there was no need for panic as police statistics are indicating a decline in homicides.

To bolster his assessment, the security minister, who was speaking at yesterday’s Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) Chairman’s Club Forum at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, assured the gathering of influential business leaders that his ministry had a handle on crime.

“Essentially, what I wanted to show from this is that we don’t need to panic right now because [murders] have not gone up relative to where [they were] in the second half of last year. In fact, we are seeing some encouraging signs with the rates coming down,” said Bunting.

Bunting spent most of his presentation reiterating plans to fight crime, including going after the drug kingpins, targeting gangs and benefactors of crime. He said during the question-and-answer segment that the People’s National Party (PNP) administration has the political will to effectively battle crime, which according to multiple studies, has adversely affected the growth of the economy.

“What I do know is that here is he political will to take the tough decisions to move the country forward,” said Bunting.

Earlier in his presentation, the security minister said that the necessary legislative framework, such as the ant-gang bill, would be fast-tracked. He also reminded that a national crime policy was being worked on in tandem with the University of the West Indies.

Bunting also reiterated the target of reducing homicides to 12 per 100,000 people by 2017. That figure would result in about 320 murders per year, or less than one murder per day. Jamaica currently averages three murders per day.

The country has seen an average homicide rate per year of 1,000, which hit a peak of 1,680 in 2009.

The security minister also used the opportunity to respond to critics who have said that there is always an increase in crime/murders whenever the PNP forms the Government.

“Since about the middle of last year the murder rate is more or less where it is now. In fact if you compare the first quarter of this year with the last quarter of 2011 murders are actually down,” said Bunting.

“I had to put [that] in because of the political attacks I have been getting that PNP ‘tun up de ting’ with murders when in fact [the murder rates under the PNP] in the first quarter is lower,” he added.

Bunting said that he was particularly encouraged that the murder rate for March so far is 2.5 per day.

Up to February 24, the police have reported 165 murders.