The chairman of the Police Federation is this evening calling for immediate attention to be placed on bolstering the crime-fighting mechanisms of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. He says the decline in law and order necessitates urgent attention and that the present number of police officers is insufficient.

Despite six ongoing States of Public Emergency and two Zones of Special Operations across the country during 2019, there was a marked increase in murders when compared to 2018.

This has led to these crime-fighting strategies being criticized as ineffective.

According to the chairman of the police federation, a lack of police officers and increasing crime hot spots are major setbacks in the nation’s fight against criminal elements.

Security expert Bobby Finzi Smith says the movement of criminals creates a deterrent in crime-fighting.

Smith says in many instances sensitive information about national security is made public, which allows criminals to find new ways to escape.