The security partnership between Jamaica and the United States has been described as strong by one of America’s senior Government officials, The Jamaica Observer reported on Sunday.
At the same time, given the persistence of drug, arms, and human traffickers, U.S. Undersecretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya said both states cannot relax their efforts to combat illegal activities.
“We have strong cooperation, but the scale of the problem is such that we cannot be complacent, we have to deepen it,” Undersecretary Zeya told the Jamaica Observer last Tuesday during a working visit to the island.
Reiterating that both the U.S. and Jamaica have a commitment to ensure the safety of their citizens, Zeya said she found “strong resolve … on the real centrality of our cooperation on this issue” in meetings with Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his Cabinet, as well as with Opposition Leader Mark Golding.
“It’s a strong partnership and it’s getting even deeper. It’s also a whole of government partnership…and we are very proud to support efforts on building the capacity of Jamaican law enforcement to fight narcotics trafficking, trafficking in guns, trafficking in drugs, trafficking in people,” Zeya said.
The undersecretary had a tight schedule that included her inaugurating, alongside Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson, Jamaica’s 10th child-friendly space for child victims.
The child-friendly spaces have been established under a partnership involving the U.S. government, the Ministry of National Security and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) which started in 2018. They are designed to help children who are victims of crime to feel safe while interacting with professionals, including law enforcement officers, social workers, healthcare professionals, and prosecutors.
The JCF explained that the spaces provide counseling, emotional support, crisis intervention, court preparation, and victim advocacy for child victims of crime, including human trafficking.