REDUCE THE CRIME RATE BY EXPANDING VOTING BEYOND GARRISON COMMUNITIES TO JAMAICANS OVERSEAS

Tackling the deep-rooted issue of garrison politics in Jamaica, the panel of commissioners, whose report into the May 2010 security forces operations in west Kingston is now public, have urged political leaders to commit to ending the allocation of Government's and political parties' resources to dons in order to reduce the influence of these persons. "In this regard, state funds for use in a constituency (eg. the Constituency Development Fund) should be administered by a representative board rather than at the direction of a member of parliament," the commissioners declared. At the same time, the report said that resources should be targeted at garrison communities to facilitate the development of skills training programmes and remedial schooling for at-risk youth. "We are well aware that there is a tendency to regard garrison communities as being specially deprived areas, when, in fact, relative to other poor communities, they tend to be specially favoured in the allocation of state funds. The implementation of this recommendation should, therefore, have regard for and be consistent with the principle of fair allocation of state funds," the commissioners reasoned. The commissioners said that the Social Development Commission should introduce initiatives to promote and expand the work of youth clubs, sports clubs, and the Boys' Scouts and Girl Guides associations, if this is not currently being done. "Such organisations are useful in promoting character-building and fostering respect for discipline," the report stated.