Prime Minister Holness Declares Zero Tolerance for Criminals at Raintree Commercial Development Groundbreaking
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has issued a stern warning to criminals and their facilitators as the government embarks on another large-scale project.
During the groundbreaking and contract signing ceremony for the highly anticipated Raintree Commercial Complex on Wednesday (April 16) in Ferry Pen, St. Catherine, Prime Minister Holness declared that no form of criminal interference, extortion, or gang control will be tolerated at the development site or anywhere else in Jamaica.
“If it takes the deployment of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to secure the site and to run the site as if it were a military barracks, then that is what I will do to ensure that no criminal, no don, and no one who feels that they have control over any area can come here and say they are securing the site or extorting,” Prime Minister Holness declared.
Dr. Holness emphasized that the government’s approach to national development cannot coexist with criminal intimidation.
“If we allow that to take root at the beginning of the construction, then we would have given up the sovereign control of the state over the development. So for those criminals listening: Try it and see. Play the fool and find out!” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister explained that this bold stance is rooted in nearly a decade of deliberate investment in national security infrastructure.
“It took us nine years to get to this point. We were investing in the JDF, maximizing the equipment, capability, and training. We started to invest heavily in the police by changing their vehicles, telecommunications, training and doctrine, leadership, investigative capabilities, and intelligence gathering. The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) today is not the same as the JCF 10 years ago,” Dr. Holness stated.
Prime Minister Holness reminded everyone that the improvements in the security landscape today are far more advanced and that those who attempt to disrupt national development through violence or fear will face swift consequences.
“When they get what is coming to them, there are those who will cry out in sympathy, but the society will know that I went to great lengths publicly to warn them.”
The Prime Minister is therefore urging all Jamaicans to take this warning seriously and stand with the government in asserting the sovereign authority of the State.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Holness highlighted that the Raintree Commercial Complex is a key component of the government’s strategic development agenda being executed by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC).
The development features over 100 acres of land with sixty-nine lots currently proposed for investment and facilitation.
The Prime Minister said this major undertaking is expected to inject new life into a growing commercial belt in Jamaica, supporting light commercial and industrial activities. Once completed, the development will create jobs, stimulate local enterprise, and drive long-term economic growth in the region.