THE GOVERNMENT'S plan to utilise citizen volunteers in its anti-crime measures has been criticised by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) which called it a move to reintroduce the controversial 1970s Home Guard programme.
Speaking at a press briefing at the party's headquarters in New Kingston yesterday, spokesman on National Security Derrick Smith said the measure would be vigorously resisted by the JLP.
"This is the Home Guard of the past in a different (guise)," Mr. Smith said. "And let me tell you the Opposition is not going to sit back and allow any political militia to be reintroduced into this country. We are going to resist that most strenuously."
The Home Guard, which was introduced by the People's National Party (PNP) government of the 1970s to deal with an upsurge in crime, drew upon citizens to perform auxiliary police duties.
However, it stalled after the JLP levelled charges it would be used as a tool of political repression.
In his address to the nation on crime last Sunday, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson said many citizens with "special skills and a capacity for intelligence gathering" had expressed a willingness to offer their service to the government.
"These persons will be inducted as Voluntary Special Constables," the Prime Minister said. However, he did not elaborate on how the persons would be chosen and how they would be used.
At yesterday's briefing, JLP leader Edward Seaga said PNP activists were being armed with licensed guns as part of the government's election strategy.
Mr. Seaga said information had come to the JLP that the activists were being given the firearms under the pretext they were employed to security companies.
"I am charging Derrick Smith (spokesman on National Security) with calling upon the Commissioner of Police to reveal to us on a private basis the names of all persons who had received firearms in the past two years so we can determine which of them are known PNP activists who are not the type of persons who ought to be owning a firearm licence," Mr. Seaga said.
