Discussion of Findings

This research project aims to assess the benefits and challenges associated with the State of
Public Emergency (S.O.E) that was implemented in St. James as it relates to its civilians and
business operators.
According to the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) news website, careful planning was placed
into the development of the S.O.E as it relates to students attending school, traffic flow and
business operations so as the minimize the negative effects. However, this was not totally
successful as business operators were affected negatively. It was found that 75% of business
operators had experienced a decrease in the number of customers they received daily, most of
whom claimed the decrease was significant. Despite this, the Government had claimed that the
S.O.E was not expected to have a significant effect on the economy (According to the Loop
magazine – Jan 24, 2018).
This decrease in customers may have been due to the decrease in working hours as 35% of the
civilians surveyed claimed to shop mainly at night and 60% claiming to be negatively affected by
the changes in the working hours. Furthermore, the decrease in customers led to even more
negative effects as 50% of the business operators surveyed had to decrease their stock supply as
a result.
Moreover, according to the article published in the Jamaica Observer (Jan 20, 2018), some
businesses across Montego Bay were experiencing reductions in sales since the implementation
of the S.O.E. This supports the data collected as 50% of the business operators claimed to have
had a decrease in their income with 50% claiming it to be less than a 20% decrease, and the other
50% claiming it to be greater than 50%. This is likely to have been due to the decrease in
customers.
Surprisingly, there were no reported job cuts due to the S.O.E. Even more surprisingly, 100% of
the business operators stated that there was no noticeable decrease or increase in the level of
crime experienced in the area while the S.O.E was in operation. This may be due to the study
area being relatively safe and low in criminal activity.
However, despite this, Business operators had provided their support to the S.O.E as it gave them
a sense of security as seen in the quoted messages in the January 20 Jamaica Observer article
(2018).
Moreover, 80% of civilians surveyed saw the S.O.E as being beneficial with 85% agreeing to a
greater sense of security while it was in operation. This sense of security may have been due to
the decrease in murder rate as quoted by the Prime Minister on July 18, 2018 by the JIS. 90% of
the civilians surveyed were employed and 75% of these individuals were unaffected by the S.O.E
work-wise. The remaining 25% stated that there was a decrease in income and working hours
due to the S.O.E. This is due to the curfew that was placed on certain businesses such as
supermarkets and gas stations causing them to close earlier. The majority of civilians claimed to
have been affected mainly by the decreased opening hours of these businesses.