THE PRIVATE Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) says it continues to be appalled at the escalation of violence and crime that the country is experiencing, not just in the past week, but for far too many years.
Following is the statement in full.
We extend sincere condolences to all the families of the victims, who have been attacked, offended and murdered, including members of the police force.
While we recognise that the Ministry of National Security and Justice and, the Jamaica Constabulary Force have been working to address the crime and violence which has been crippling our nation, we continue to be horrified at the brutality and callousness of these crimes.
MAINTENANCE OF LAW
We call upon all our citizens to cooperate, to play their part in ensuring the maintenance of law and order in our communities, and, to share information on criminal activities and wrongdoing. The life you save may be yours, your family, your friends or, your co-workers. Let us assist the security forces in every way possible to address the number one hindrance to the growth of our economy and the quality of life of every Jamaican. The PSOJ invites you to share all information with respect to crime in your community by calling CRIME STOP and the monthly 'Phone-in' Programme.
"We are a nation in crisis, our citizens can no longer continue to live in fear our lives, our jobs, our businesses and our well being are severely affected," said PSOJ President, Beverley Lopez. "The authority of our government and our security forces is being eroded by that anarchy we are witnesses to. We need to urgently come together to find meaningful and sustainable solutions."
We appeal to the conscience of those citizens who are contributing to this spate of violence. Stop the killing, stop the abuse, stop preying on our children!
The PSOJ supports the Governor-General, Sir Howard Cook's proclamation of May 15 as a national day of prayer. We call upon every citizen and every church to pray for our country. Let us pray for our children, our citizens, our communities and our leaders as we seek to rid ourselves of this scourge on our nation.
We are in profound crisis.
