Cognisant of the kind of damage that crime could do to the image of Falmouth, the hub of the nation's cruise shipping, the mayor of the Trelawny parish capital, Councillor Colin Gager, is hopeful that a number of upcoming projects will create more employment options for residents.
"We have a number of upcoming projects in the pipeline, and I am hoping that it will help to create more employment opportunities for the people," said Gager. "We are hoping to use the opportunity for gainful employment to pull people away from crime."
Among the projects, Gager said, would be coming on stream are the renovation of the Albert George Market, the expansion of the Falmouth Pier, the creation of an artisan village, and the construction of new hotels.
"We are very serious about creating a much safer environment because that is the way we are going to curb the upsurge in crime," continued Gager. "We can't just be waiting and hoping that it will go away. We have to do something about it."