PIOJ Growth-Inducement Strategy - Planning Institute of Jamaica

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Community Renewal Programme (CRP)
1.0 Introduction
Over the last forty years, Jamaica has faced the seemingly intractable problem of violent
crimes with the murder rate in 2009 recorded at 62/100,000 – among the top three
countries worldwide. The events of May 2010 have clearly shown that fundamental and
transformative changes are needed to address the entrenched problems of governance and
social exclusion which are characteristic of many of the nation’s inner-city communities.
At the centre of the transformation lies the need for the re-assertion of the legitimate role
of the state in these communities. This not only involves re-establishing the primary role
of the state in security and justice at the level of communities, but also its important
enabling roles in community empowerment and economic and social development.
Jamaica’s increasing violent crime rate has resulted from inter alia:
link between gangs, youth and communities;
alignment of gangs and communities with political parties;
weakening influence of the state and rule of law;
high unemployment rate;
inadequate physical and technical capacity of law enforcement agencies; and
lack of adequate physical infrastructure in several communities.
2.0 Community Renewal Programme
The CRP has been conceptualised on the premise that security, justice and community
economic well-being are pre-requisites for the sustainable development of Jamaica’s
communities and for the country as a whole. Further, all citizens regardless of socioeconomic
background must be free to make their own choices, take responsibility for
their own actions and be afforded equal opportunities for self-development to make a
meaningful contribution to nation building.
Goal: The goal of the CRP is to empower residents to achieve their fullest potential and
contribute to the attainment of a secure, cohesive and just Jamaican society (in keeping
with Goals 1 and 2 of Vision 2030 Jamaica). Vision 2030 identifies “gradual
intervention in targeted communities that are most vulnerable and among population
segments such as young males” (Outcome 5, Security and Safety, p. 106) as a major
component of the long term solution. This is supported by National Strategy 5-1:
Strengthen the capacity of communities to participate in creating a safe and secure
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