#Jamaica, October 14, 2019 — Ten years ago, Jamaica recorded its highest murder rate within a decade with some 1,680 homicides in 2009. Ten years on, and two years after a murder count of 1,616 people (second highest in 10 years), the country is trending downward, significantly.
It is widely believed that the Jamaican Government’s bold
interventions curtailed the killings and the murder count has decreased in some
areas, like St. Thomas by 32 percent.
It is still heartbreaking that hundreds of people have died
to violence of some kind in what is the third largest English speaking country
in the Western Hemisphere and the largest one in the Caribbean, but many take
heart in the fact that based on trends, one can surmise that likely 300 people
will not be killed.
So, what happened to cause this reduction?
The answer is bold initiative including declaring a State of Public Emergency (SOE) in several crime-ridden districts and parishes – St. James, Hanover and Westmoreland are among them – and that meant curfews and other drastic controls and powers were enacted for those areas. Not only did the Jamaican government do it once, but over and over again in both 2018 and 2019 because, they say, it is working and has not hurt tourism.
Loop News Jamaica reported in October 2019 that Dr. Horace
Chang, Minister of Security is completely persuaded that the State of Public Emergency
has saved lives, when social programmes did not.
“The first time we
had a significant fall that has saved well over 200 Jamaican lives and stopped
the mayhem and slaughter on the streets of Montego Bay, that was the
introduction of the state of emergency,” the security minister explained while
speaking at a Violence Prevention and Peace Building Symposium.
Also in October, it is reported that those SOEs, were
extended.
Jamaican Prime Minister, Andrew Holness in addressing the
House of Assembly about the need to extend the SOE in south St. Andrew Police
Division, presented statistical reasoning.
“It is a solution that has yielded results, and we are well aware
of the challenges and the downsides to the SOEs,” he added that despite skepticism,
“We have saved, by virtue of the collective
action of this House by putting in place the SOE: 30 lives. There were 51
shootings in the 84 days before the SOE – that is down to 27.
Murders in the area were cut by half said the
Prime Minister.
Reporting on the national impact of the SOE, PM Holness in a
Jamaica Information Services news report said: “We have started a process of
bringing down our murder rate from 1,600 in [2017]… . We have now brought it
down to 1,280 [in 2018] and if we continue, we will bring down our murder rate
to below 1,000.”
Jamaica leads the Caribbean region in murders, has seen a spike in
gun violence in 2019 and reports are that 70 percent of crime is linked to
illegal drugs.
The State of
Public Emergency gives the security forces temporary additional powers,
including powers of search, arrest and detention. Security forces can also curtail operating
hours of business, restrict access to places and detain individuals without a
warrant.
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Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27thMarch, 2024 – Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Department of Tourism Regulations is proud to unveil the “Rate Your Ride” system, a new initiative designed to enhance the vacation experience for tourists exploring our picturesque islands.
The “Rate Your Ride” system empowers tourists to provide valuable feedback on the quality of transportation services they receive while visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands. Through an easy-to-use online form, tourists can rate factors such as cleanliness, comfort, safety, and professionalism of drivers, helping us to assure the highest quality of service standards across all modes of transportation.
By participating in the “Rate Your Ride” system, tourists play a crucial role in shaping the future of transportation services in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Their feedback will enable us to identify areas for improvement and ensure that every visitor enjoys safe, comfortable, and convenient travel throughout their stay in the Turks and Caicos.
The code will also be publicly accessible through the cooperation of volunteer drivers who will make the rating code available in their vehicles. Flyers and stickers displaying the code will be distributed at hotels, resorts and airports. The mandated display of these codes is expected to align with the rollout of our tourism regulations in 2025.
For more information about the “Rate Your Ride” system and other initiatives by the Department of Tourism Regulations, please visit gov.tc/tourismregulations/or contact us via telephone at 946-4970 and email at tourismregulations@gov.tc.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March 2024– The Department of Behavioral Health Services is appealing to the general public to refrain from recording and circulating videos of persons who may appear to be experiencing a mental health crisis. Anyone can experience a mental health crisis at some point in their life. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Persons may struggle with very common conditions such as Anxiety and Depression or be diagnosed with more serious conditions like Bipolar Disorder or Psychosis.
“There are a lot of misunderstandings about various mental health conditions and how they may manifest. In addition, there are a number of negative perceptions and misconceptions that society exhibits towards people with mental health problems. However, just as we would show care and concern for someone diagnosed with Cancer, or any other physical illness, in the same way, we need to be as caring and helpful to persons with mental illnesses”– stated Director of the Department of Behavioral Health Services, Dr. Alicia Malcolm.
The Department is urging the public to call the following numbers if you see someone who appears to be experiencing a mental health crisis:
338-5473/338-3616: Providenciales, North or Middle Caicos
338-3614/338-3612: Grand Turk, South Caicos, Salt Cay
338-6301: Nights and Weekends
If someone is putting themselves or someone else in immediate, serious risk of harm, call 911.
The Department of Behavioral Health services is here to help and provides the following services which are free and confidential:
Location of above services:
o Sam Harvey Building, Down Town, Providenciales,
o Primary Health Care Department, Cheshire Hall Medical Center, Providenciales
o Department of Behavioural Health, Duncombe Alley, Grand Turk
Let’s all do our part in creating a community where people with mental health problems feel respected, supported and cared for.
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, 27th March 2024: The PR, marketing, and communications sector is poised for potential growth and could lead the Caribbean region in terms of industry standards says Damian Wilson. Wilson’s suggestion comes after the release of a new research report into the current trends and future direction of the sector as a possible emerging industry in the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).
Wilson is the report’s author, which conveys the findings of research which he initiated. “One of the key research results is the considerable optimism by industry practitioners and government alike, with persons seeing growth potential. I believe that we can become regional leaders in this field. I believe that one of the initiatives that could be used to do this is by establishing a ‘TCI Centre of Communications Excellence’ within the TCI Community College. Such an institute would be dedicated to communication and media innovation with a particular focus on digital communications and ICT,” says Wilson.
He further explained, “I believe that the PR, marketing, and communications sector, like much of the country, is at a crossroads and could have an even greater impact on our socio-economic fabric. Some may have concerns about our small size, but I believe this makes us far more agile than our neighbours. All in all, any potential growth must be underpinned by new investments, professional development, and a strategy to integrate the sector into the broader economy.”
Wilson also said that he sees his research as a first step in understanding our own industry sectors in the TCI and would love to see more profound research and analysis conducted. He’s hoping that the report will spark discussion along those lines. The report is entitled ‘Current Trends and Future Direction: A Preliminary Report on the PR, Marketing, and Communications Sector in the Turks & Caicos Islands’. Anyone wanting a copy of the report can contact Damian Wilson via his email, damian.wilson.pr@gmail.com.