The St. Ann Chamber of Commerce has called for urgent action to prevent crime eroding economic and social gains made in the parish.

Chamber President Dr. Ransford Davidson made the appeal while addressing a town hall meeting in Brown’s Town last evening (July 6).

Dr. Davidson noted that St. Ann continues to grow and develop, making significant contributions to tourism and the economy.

He said these gains are under threat, from incidents such as robberies, especially with thieves targeting the business sector in Brown’s Town in recent weeks, made worse by the fact that the Browns Town police lack adequate resources.

The president related that the concerns of the chamber were discussed during a recent meeting with National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang, and Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson.

He said the chamber has been active in lobbying for improvements, some of which have already been announced, including plans to install a CCTV camera system, along the thoroughfare from Ocho Rios to Discovery Bay.

Davidson said other initiatives being proposed by the chamber include development of a parish plan.

He said the chamber is also working to strengthen ties with the diaspora and increase funding for development projects in the parish.