Mark Titus, Freelance Writer
Member of Parliament for north- west St. James, Dr. Horace Chang. - Contributed
WESTERN BUREAU
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) chairman of region four and Member of Parliament for north-west St. James, Dr. Horace Chang says the Government needs to put 'concrete, long term measures' in place to address the underlying social and economic issues behind the criminal activities in Montego Bay.
"We need to stop the 'band aid' measures and come up with something concrete," he said.
"While effective policing will play its part, much more needs to be done in order for normalcy to be restored in Montego Bay," the MP declared.
"The current crime wave is symptomatic of years of neglect in the city and the effects of this are now manifesting themselves."
The police have recorded 175 murders in Montego Bay since the start of the year, up from 144 for all of 2005, with about 80 per cent occurring in the squatter dominated north-west St. James, for which Dr. Chang has served as Member of Parliament since 2002.
The incumbent MP said that the concentration of criminal activities in his constituency was due to the fact that depressed communities dominated his constituency.
"We have the largest concentration of depressed areas in Jamaica but they have been neglected, there needs to be serious social intervention."
Dr. Chang pointed out that the government in power must take primary responsibility for these problems and address them.
He added that if the Government does not put measures in place to ensure the inclusion of the citizens in the system, many thriving communities in Jamaica might soon be challenged with criminality.
"When we examine the mass killing that is taking place in Montego Bay, we see evidence of a failed state and the people's lack of trust in the Government; they have lost faith in the police, the education system and the justice system."
Dr. Chang said that a collective approach and a willingness to do what is required are the only ways the community spirit will be restored to the second city.
