THE ARRIVAL of the police research team due here from the U.S. next month to help crime-fightoing efforts is dependent on AMCHAM's ability to raise US$65,000 to cover expenses. Both Ms. Becky Stockhausen, Executive Director and AMCHAM's president, Carlos Aquino, have appealed to the local business community to play its part by making monetary contributions.
In lauding the AMCHAM initiative, Minister K.D. Knight said the project "represents the dawning of a new day, a new approach, the forging of a partnership that can help us not just to understand the present and deal with it but to create the kind of future which we want for Jamaica."
He thanked AMCHAM for the confidence it was showing in the country, and being prepared to be partners in the fight against crime. The Security Minister again urged the country to come together to fight the scourge of crime, and promised Government's full support for the initiative. "It is the kind of partnership that we had been longing for," he said.
For his part, Commissioner Forbes said the AMCHAM move would lift the morale of those involved in the fight against crime, especially against the background of recent criticisms.
"This is a signal to us (the police) that there are many persons in the society who are not going to sit idly by and make negative comments but are going to come forward in a positive way and to demonstrate that together in partnership we can make a difference," said the Commissioner.
In appealing to the country to support the initiative, Ms Stockhausen said the upcoming winter tourist season could not survive any more negative overseas press. She said there was now a "chance for us to make our own headlines, to say that in an unprecedented manner the Government, the business community and the people of Jamaica are forging a partnership to fight the crime and the panic..."
The executive director noted that despite the impressive track record of PERF, there were problems unique to Jamaica that would have to be tackled differently. She also warned against expecting a quick fix, but rather to expect an ongoing process that would take both effort and time.
Several leading members of the private sector have, since last week, called on the Government to seek outside help in the fight against crime which has claimed the lives of more than 600 people since the start of the year.
