Jamaica News, February 6, 2018
St James, Jamaica (McKoy’s News) – Hon Robert Montague: On Sunday, February 4, 2018, the Minister of National Security, the Hon Robert Montague told stakeholders and the St James business community that crime is costing and bleeding the country.
According to the Security Minister, the cost of crime each year for the country is a total of 68 billion dollars. He also said that with this amount of money being focused on crime each year, the government could comfortably build 36 high schools and equip them to first world standard. He stated that the government could also build 14 public hospitals and equip them accordingly.
Minister Montague also told the stakeholders that crime has now overrun the parish of St James and since the 20th century, lottery scamming, deportees and cybercrime is the engine that drives the crime problem in Jamaica. The Minister also said that for every gunshot victim that visit the hospitals, it cost the country a total of $400,000 per person and this is unacceptable.
Minister Montague along with Pearnel Charles Jr and other members of the country’s Defence Force toured sections of St James under the State of Emergency on Sunday, February 4, 2018.