National Security Minister Jack Warner said on Tuesday crime is not as "grim" as it would seem.
"I have seen the headlines...and like you, there is a cause for concern," he said at a media conference at his Port of Spain office.
However the minister provided details to support his view that things are not as bad as they seem. He said between January and August 2010 there were 328 murders. In the corresponding period the next year it went down to 272 and for 2012 it is 264.
"That is including this massive, big figure of seven you read in today's (Tuesday) paper. Generally speaking, as far as serious crimes are concerned, there has been a reduction and even so far as homicides are concerned," he said.
"It is no comfort really whether it is eight less or ten less as the case may be, but the fact that I am making to you, is that it is not as grim or as bad as it seems.
"I have seen the headlines...and like you, there is a cause for concern," he said at a media conference at his Port of Spain office.
However the minister provided details to support his view that things are not as bad as they seem. He said between January and August 2010 there were 328 murders. In the corresponding period the next year it went down to 272 and for 2012 it is 264.
"That is including this massive, big figure of seven you read in today's (Tuesday) paper. Generally speaking, as far as serious crimes are concerned, there has been a reduction and even so far as homicides are concerned," he said.
"It is no comfort really whether it is eight less or ten less as the case may be, but the fact that I am making to you, is that it is not as grim or as bad as it seems.
"In fact every effort is being done by the authorities so as to minimise the amount of murders taking place especially in the hot spots. And I don't want to call any particular areas because if I do that to show in a two- month period there has not been a single murder, some clown may prove me wrong tonight," he said.
"In the light of the State of Emergency and in light of this sensational headline of seven murders, I thought I should talk to you," he said to the media.
Warner also noted that last year's state of emergency was called to protect national security, adding that the reasons are still classified. He said when you compare statistics with Jamaica it's clear that it's much worse there.
He suggested that media reporting of crime contributes to the perception that it is out worse than it really is. "I know that Jamaica is approaching 700 murders so far for the year. At the ending of July 643 murders and I have gone through every newspaper in the last six, seven months and I have not seen a single headline about the murder rate," Warner said.
He said his media friends in Jamaica have told him that reporting murders has no economical value for the country or the country's tourist trade.
"I am not telling anybody or any media house how to do their job, all I am telling you is what Jamaica does and what we do," he said.
"This year as we speak, is better than last year, last year this time was better than the year before and therefore the situation is not as grim. Anyone who has any concern for one's country would understand that when you do these things without proper analysis you don't help your country, you will sell a paper or two more, but you don't help your economy or your tourist trade," he said.
"I cannot tell you how to run your paper, or run your business," he said.
"In the light of the State of Emergency and in light of this sensational headline of seven murders, I thought I should talk to you," he said to the media.
Warner also noted that last year's state of emergency was called to protect national security, adding that the reasons are still classified. He said when you compare statistics with Jamaica it's clear that it's much worse there.
He suggested that media reporting of crime contributes to the perception that it is out worse than it really is. "I know that Jamaica is approaching 700 murders so far for the year. At the ending of July 643 murders and I have gone through every newspaper in the last six, seven months and I have not seen a single headline about the murder rate," Warner said.
He said his media friends in Jamaica have told him that reporting murders has no economical value for the country or the country's tourist trade.
"I am not telling anybody or any media house how to do their job, all I am telling you is what Jamaica does and what we do," he said.
"This year as we speak, is better than last year, last year this time was better than the year before and therefore the situation is not as grim. Anyone who has any concern for one's country would understand that when you do these things without proper analysis you don't help your country, you will sell a paper or two more, but you don't help your economy or your tourist trade," he said.
"I cannot tell you how to run your paper, or run your business," he said.
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