The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) says there was general agreement that criminal violence and violence in the society need a multifaceted response and cannot simply be treated as a matter of law enforcement.

The PNP in a statement says participants agreed that the society needs urgent adjustments in several areas including aspects of Jamaica’s culture, community relations and empowerment, parenting support, much-needed legislation and police reform that have been left languishing for several years.

Several stakeholders turned out for the crime summit held at the Jamaica Conference Centre.

Representatives from the 40 organizations including the political sector, the security forces, the church, civil society, and the private sector attended the summit to take part in discussions aimed at developing strategies to tackle crime and violence.

Among those attending the summit were PSOJ President Howard Mitchell, Attorney General and government representative Marlene Malahoo Forte, and head of CTOC ACP Fitz Bailey.

The opposition says the meeting agreed that the reports on crime and violence dating back to the Wolfe report and including the report from the commission of enquiry on the Tivoli security forces operation, the JCF strategic reports and others must be re-examined and the recommendations lifted and implemented as a matter of urgency.

The meeting expressed strong support for a national consensus around the agreed anti-crime measures, as put forward by the private sector organisation which calls for government, opposition, private sector, civil society to collaborate on determining the framework for crime prevention, including committing to providing required extraordinary resources and monitoring the execution of a plan by an EPO type body.

The meeting accepted that it is important that any sustainable anti-crime solution could not and should not include any long term suspension of constitutional and civil rights.

A report of the discussions had at the summit will be compiled and made available to participants within two weeks.