Government to review Jamaica ZOSOs before shift to zones of peace

The Government will review the seven Zones of Special Operations now in place across Jamaica as it prepares to move the communities towards zones of peace, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang has said.

Chang, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, told the House of Representatives on Wednesday that the study is intended to give the administration a stronger evidence base on how the security zones have performed.

"This research will provide the Government with a robust empirical understanding of the effectiveness of the zones. It will allow us to determine what has worked, what has not and how best to scale the most effective elements across the country," Chang said.

He said the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will support the exercise through grant funding. The work is expected to begin in July, starting with a feasibility assessment.

ZOSOs are defined geographic areas in which the State applies stronger security measures alongside community development programmes to address high levels of crime. The approach is meant to remove criminal actors from communities, maintain security through a joint police-military presence, and bring in social support intended to improve conditions for residents.

Jamaica's first ZOSO was declared in Mount Salem, St James, in September 2017.

Chang said the review will look at the financial costs and benefits of the zones. It will also identify and rank the initiatives that provide the highest social value, examine possible risks and unintended results, assess implementation problems, and study the longer-term social and environmental effects.

The findings are also expected to help shape how the proposed zones of peace are designed and put into operation as the longer-term model that would follow the ZOSO framework.

Chang said the Government regards evidence-based decision-making as central to its work to create communities that are safer, stronger and more resilient.

"Peace is not dependent on permanent police/military presence but sustained through opportunity, inclusion and development," he said.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding welcomed the announced research and the planned movement towards zones of peace.

"You've indicated [that] you're looking to transition to something a bit different... . I welcome that... and you're doing some database analysis as to how they've worked over the time that you've deployed them, which is also very good. We are looking forward to seeing the results of that," Golding said.

Golding said the effect of ZOSOs on rights, given that they limit some freedoms, should be addressed in a ministerial statement to the House on the long-term plan for supporting the affected communities.

He also backed the House's approval of another 180-day extension for the seven ZOSOs, which had been scheduled to end on June 22.

The extension keeps the zones in force until December 19, 2026. It covers Denham Town in Kingston; Norwood and Mount Salem in St James; Greenwich Town, Parade Gardens and August Town in St Andrew; and Savanna-la-Mar in Westmoreland.

Chang said the zones are still producing important gains for some of the country's most vulnerable communities.

"Since the first Zone was declared in Mount Salem in September 2017, we have made significant and measurable progress. Serious crimes have been reduced in these communities and across the country, and we have simultaneously strengthened the Government's border security programme," he said.