Security minister, EU ambassador underscore importance to curbing crime and violence

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang has reinforce the commitment of the Government to a holistic approach to address the root cause of crime and violence in Jamaica.

He further reinforced the value of the quality of data collected and analysis, as a basis for institutionalization and sustainability of social investment.

“A holistic approach to citizen security helps to breakdown the silos between service providers and different ministries, departments and agencies to address some of the root causes of crime and violence,” said Chang.

The minister was speaking at a three-day retreat organised to review progress being made by the Citizen Security Plan (CSP).

Also in attendance was European Union (EU) Ambassador Marianne Van Steen, who supported the call for a holistic approach to crime-fighting.

In her opening remarks, she noted that “a holistic approach is not the easiest approach, but we are confident it is the most effective and the only way to deal with the many drivers of crime and violence”.

She further solidified the EU’s commitment to assist the Government of Jamaica through budgetary support and technical assistance.

The CSP, first launched in 2020, is the the Government’s plan for an integrated approach to tackling crime and violence in Jamaica.

While at the retreat, approximately 50 stakeholders from different ministries and non-governmental organisations focused on areas such as the inter-ministerial school support strategy, safer spaces and training and employment for at-risk youth. Within these areas, participants honed in on strengthening data to feed the CSP’s monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework, tracking 70 indicators across ministries, departments and agencies. They are also building integrated action plans to close critical gaps in service delivery.