JAMAICA | Senator Damion Crawford Demands Urgent Action to Protect the Nation's Schools Amid Rising Violence

KINGSTON, Jamaica – 15 November 2024: The Opposition PNP has expressed concern over the recent surge in violence targeting our educational institutions, following two shocking incidents within the past 24 hours that have placed our children, educators, and school communities in grave danger.

Yesterday, media reports revealed a robbery at gunpoint at a preparatory school in Kingston, where students aged six to twelve were subjected to the terrifying presence of armed robbers. 

Although the children were not physically harmed, the sight of firearms and the clear threat posed by the criminals created a traumatic and harrowing experience that no child should ever endure.

Today, we were further alarmed by two tragic incidents of violence involving schools. In Manchester, a school bus driver was brutally murdered on the grounds of a secondary school, a shocking act of violence carried out on school property.

Additionally, in St Andrew, a man believed to be a parent was shot dead outside the gate of Rousseau Primary School on Friday morning, sometime between 8:30 am and 9:00 am.

Alarmingly, this is the second such incident at Rousseau Primary School in just a month, as on October 15 of this year, another parent was killed in front of students on the school’s premises. These horrifying incidents underscore the urgent need for enhanced security measures to safeguard our educational environments and protect everyone who accesses them.

As the Opposition Spokesperson on Education, I urge the Government to take immediate and comprehensive action to protect our children and school staff from such violent crimes.

We are calling for the introduction of a new law to establish "Safe Spaces" around key institutions such as schools, hospitals, and transport terminals. These Safe Spaces would mandate scheduled police patrols, ensuring a consistent and visible law enforcement presence. Furthermore, we propose that any crime committed within a 400-metre radius of these Safe Spaces be subject to significantly harsher penalties to deter criminal activity near these critical facilities.

The safety of our children is paramount, but we must also prioritise the security of our dedicated teachers and school staff, who deserve to work in environments free from violence and fear. We call on the Government to ensure that the perpetrators of these recent crimes are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.

This alarming rise in violence does not reflect the values we hold as a nation. We must unite to protect our children, our educators, and our communities from harm. Schools must be sanctuaries of learning and growth, not places overshadowed by fear and danger.

The Opposition remains committed to collaborating with the Government to address these pressing issues. However, we demand immediate and decisive action to ensure the safety of our educational institutions and the well-being of all those within them.

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