Prime Minister Andrew Holness is to convene a meeting with all permanent secretaries and heads of agencies.

This is to ensure that the necessary structures and support are in place for the social intervention and development measures, which are key components of the zones of special operations.

The decision follows today’s (July 20) meeting of the National Security Council chaired by Mr. Holness.

A release from the Office of the Prime Minister says the NSC received and deliberated, extensively, on presentations by the Chief of Defence Staff Major General Rocky Meade and Commissioner of Police George Quallo on the preparations for the implementation of the zones of special Operations.

The zones of special operations act has been gazetted and is now law having been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and signed by the Governor General.

Cabinet on Monday approved for an increased allocation to the Ministry of National Security in the amount of $2.57 b.

This is an increase over what was already tabled in the budget to facilitate the zones and other crime response measures.