Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, the Hon. Dr. Horace Chang says under the government implemented Citizen Security Plan (CSP), meaningful and sustainable social transformation is taking place in Jamaica.
The Security Minister was delivering the main address at a review session for the European Union Technical Assistance to the CSP, coordinated by the Citizen Security Secretariat (CSS) and held yesterday (January 25) at the UWI Regional Headquarters in Kingston.
Minister Chang emphasised that in 2020 the government “with the support of professionals looked at plans to secure Jamaica and extract from the CSP which deals with the direct investment in social services and the community.”
With this, a comprehensive programme was formulated to increase social service interventions in communities. This includes the Ministry of National Security (MNS) Case Management programme and the Ministry of Education and Youth (MOEY) Literacy Education Acceleration Programme (LEAP).
Focus on targeted schools and high risk students as well as psychosocial support through Psychological First Aid (PFA) training also forms a major part of the CSP.
As the Minister addressed representatives from various ministries, agencies and departments (MDAs) at the review session for phase one of the CSP, he emphasised that “the result of good social work is good people” – assuring them that the success of the CSP is illustrated by the lives being transformed in communities islandwide.
Minister Chang further noted that “the objective of the CSP is not merely to satisfy some criteria but to institutionalise the commitment held by the government to fight crime.”
He stated that the “security approach by the government is based on three strategic planks – a better police force, improvements to the legislation to provide the legislative tools for the police to operate efficiently and targeted social investments into challenged communities to ensure long-term transformation.”
The Ministry of National Security through its partnerships with various MDAs has been building on the existing work that is being undertaken to improve citizen security with a view of achieving greater coherence, efficiency and efficacy.
The CSS, which was established in October 2020, is housed in the Ministry of National Security and is funded by the Government of Jamaica with budgetary support of the European Union (EU) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
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