The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) expects to launch its manifesto within the next four to six weeks as it prepares for the upcoming general elections.

Derrick Smith, JLP deputy leader, made the announcement Tuesday night at the St. Andrew Junior Chamber meeting at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

Mr. Smith said the manifesto would focus on seven areas. The areas of emphasis are: crime, the economy, health, education, water, roads and justice.

The Opposition Spokesman on National Security again said crime would be the focus of a JLP administration in the first three years of office, which he said would get the larger chunk of a JLP budget.

Mr. Smith said crime has become the number one concern of the country, and referred to the recent statistics reported by the police that crime was on the increase.

According to Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas, there has been an increase in the number of murders for the first three months of the year when compared with the similar period last year.

"A commitment from the Jamaica Labour Party is to tackle crime and violence," Smith said. "We have said it and I will repeat it. For the first three years of the Jamaica Labour Party administration, the portfolio of National Security, as it relates to crime and violence, will get the priority funding from that new budget."

Mr. Smith said a JLP administration intends to 'remake' the police force, and explained that this does not mean dismissing police personnel.

"We have to reshape the police force, unfortunately, because of unprofessional behaviour over a long period of time. They (the police) have lost the confidence of the Jamaican people."

Smith said evidence of this unprofessional behaviour was seen in the recent beating of prominent medical doctor, Dr. Jephthah Ford, by members of a police party.