With numerous individuals meeting their demise violently since the start of the year, National Security Minter, Robert Montague is once again under fire.
This time from his predecessor Peter Bunting.
The Opposition Spokesman on National Security has accused the Andrew Holness administration of a lack of focus on crime, evidenced, he said, by the country’s murder rate heading in a scary direction in just under a month into the new year.
“Since the start of this year, by the official police statistics, murders are up over 50 per cent and shootings are up over 80 per cent,” said Bunting, as he compared the first 22 days of 2017 with the corresponding period last year.
According to Bunting, this could mean that the 1,350 total murders recorded last year was the start of a dangerous trend that the Government needs to urgently address.
“We have not started the year well and I think the concern that many of us have is that 2016 was not an aberration but signalling a trend to a higher rate of murders,” said Bunting.
“In an environment of scarce resources, a big part of the requirement of a policy leader is to stay focused and to always be spending time and using influence in areas where it will have the highest impact,” argued Bunting.
“Frankly, in my opinion, he seems misplaced. I don’t think his skill set is best suited for that position. I think he has a lot of talent as a politician, but there are horses for courses, and I don’t think his skill set is best suited for the Ministry of National Security.”
