Government Senator Charles Sinclair is taking the Mayor of Montego Bay, Glendon Harris to task for his continued failure to immediately convene the Parish Crime Committee to have all stake holders discuss the current crime situation existing in Saint James.

According to Senator Sinclair, "as the chief public servant in the Parish and one who should be overly concerned with the killing spree presently taking place I expected the Mayor to accept my proposal made to him at the general Council meeting on May 12, 2016 to convene the Parish Crime Committee in order that the problem could be ventilated and solutions with deliverables and time lines be arrived in one forum and in a coordinated and cohesive manner with a view to alleviate the situation."

"Due to the Mayor's failure to convene that committee the various sectors, the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, the JHTA, the Council, the Police, the residents through their Neighbour Hood Watch Group, the Religious Fraternity, the political directorate have all stayed in their respective quarters and speaking on my call for a State of Emergency. Their has been no coming together, no coordinated approach to airing the problem and arriving at solutions and how those would be implemented in the best interest of the citizens of the Parish and the country."

The Parish Crime Committee is a public/private sector forum which facilitates discussion amongst the stake holders in the Parish of Saint James to discuss the issue of crime and solutions to same and bringing about a co ordinated and sustained effort to the maintenance of law and order.

"It seems to me that the Mayor Harris has abandoned the ship at a time when his office is needed to rally the stake holders in the Parish to decide on the accepted and co ordinated approach to stem the criminal activity in a sustained way. Right now it appears the Parish is on auto pilot."

Senator Sinclair concluded by thanking the media fraternity and it's several commentators for airing the state of affairs afflicting the parish and stimulating the discussion over the past week. "The media has performed it's duty in a highly creditable and commendable fashion, it is now time for those voted to important offices of the parish and state to do theirs. Jamaican lives matter in the real sense."