KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC—National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang has warned criminals that they will be dealt with forcefully in situations where students are caught in the crossfire and weapons are fired from different directions.
Chang was part of a ministerial team, which also included Education and Youth Minister Fayval Williams, that visited Grange Hill High School in Westmoreland following the death of a 16-year-old teenage boy as he walked home from sports day activities earlier this month.
A 15-year-old female companion was also shot and injured during the attack.
Chang, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, told the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) News that the visit was to reassure school administrators, students, and all law-abiding residents that there is a zero-tolerance approach to criminal behavior and that every effort will be utilized until the perpetrator is brought to justice.
“We are going to pursue the perpetrator relentlessly, whether he is young or old. We’re going to find (whoever that person is) and remove him from the community,” Chang said.
The Education Minister said the visit was also intended to signal to all stakeholders that “we are all in this together… and we are going to get this right.
“We do have things in terms of providing guidance and counseling for children with issues. We also have to ensure and provide the necessary resources to our guidance counselors so they can engage and identify issues before they escalate and provide probable solutions,” she added.
Commissioner of Police Dr. Kevin Blake has vowed to protect students “inside and outside school corridors.
“Let me assure you that you will not take this journey alone. We will be doing everything in our power to remove [those who are intent on breaking the law]. You are the future; do not be dragged into crime. Stay away from crime, criminality, and gangsterism. It is not cool,” he told the students.
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