THE NATIONAL Crime Plan, which has been in the making since last year, is now ready and is to be signed next Tuesday by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and Opposition Leader Edward Seaga at Gordon House.
At the same time the leaders will also sign off on measures to strengthen the Political Code of Conduct.
The regular sitting of the House will be suspended to facilitate the signing of the document.
The crime plan comes out of discussions involving the governing People's National Party (PNP), the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), and the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica.
Talks on the crime plan started last year following a flare-up of violence, which left several people dead in sections of Kingston and St. Andrew. Some of the killings were said to be politically motivated and prompted fears that the general election due later this year would turn out to be bloody.
Coming out of the talks, the leaders agreed to review the role of the Political Ombudsman to make the office more effective as well as revise the Political Code of Conduct which was first agreed prior to the 1989 general election.
It was also agreed that Mr. Seaga and Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies would examine plans aimed at the economic and social developments in western sections of Kingston.
They also tried to reach consensus on the Police Services Commission, which the JLP contends is a toothless tiger, unable to rein in wayward policemen. The party argued for reforms to the current method of appointing the Commissioners.
The Commissioners are appointed by the Governor-General after consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. Another recommendation of the plan is the retiring of a substantial portion of the officer corps of the police force.
