Noting that the surge in murders and shootings in St. James can pose a serious threat to tourism, one Member of Parliament (MP) in St. James has welcomed the declaration of State of Emergency (SOE) in the parish.

During his contribution to the State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives yesterday, MP for St. James Southern Homer Davis said violence continues to negatively affect the residents. 

The SOE was declared following the killing of two children and a man in Salt Spring on Monday, and the revelation that St. James currently has the highest number of recorded murders across all parishes.

Mr. Davis said past SOEs have been effective in stemming crime. 

He said rampant crime will affect persons more than an SOE. 

He stated that the time to tackle crime is now. 

The SOE will remain in effect for 14 days.