Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson has indicated that there are currently 1,892 permitted events that are scheduled to take place over the six-week Christmas and New Year period, which will see the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) requesting the use of emergency powers to maintain order.

For the first time since 2019, Jamaicans will experience Christmas without the restrictions of the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA), which were implemented to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

According to the commissioner, who spoke today (December 6) during a press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister, this will put a significant strain on the JCF’s resources.

“The need for greater presence in commercial spaces to prevent robberies, increase public order and traffic management requirements, the large number of permitted events, at the moment it is 1,892 over the season, so far, and the occurrence of non-permitted events, will create significant strain on our resources,” said Anderson.

As such, he stated that the “flexibility that the use of emergency powers facilitates, will be essential over the next six weeks to meet all of the security demands that are a feature of this period”.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced today (December 6) that new states of emergency (SOEs) were implemented in eight parishes across the island, which will take immediate effect.

The parishes include Clarendon, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, St Ann, St Catherine and sections of Kingston and St Andrew.

“In consultation with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) we requested the use of emergency powers under a limited state of public emergency in the previously named parishes and police divisions, with the St Andrew Central and St Ann police divisions being new additions,” announced Anderson.

While speaking on the issue, Holness noted that “the construction of the powers that will be deployed in the SOE will be mindful of commerce, entertainment and of person’s movement”.

The commissioner added that he wanted to “reassure the public that, while we conduct various operations in the declared spaces, we will attempt to manage the impact of our activities on persons going about their normal business”.

At times, disruptions will be unavoidable, said Anderson, but the security forces will aim to strike a balance to ensure that the measures do not severely impact those going about their lawful business.

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