The Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn yesterday blasted Jamaica's culture of silence, saying it was holding back the justice system and threatened community safety.

Llewellyn staunchly supported the efforts of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's (JCF) community policing strategies, lambasting community members for protecting criminals through their silence.

Hold communities accountable

In her address to students who participated in the JCF national schools' poster competition last Friday at the Hilton hotel in St Andrew, Llewellyn appealed to children to hold their communities accountable and urged them to play a part in the justice system.

"This informer-fi-dead culture that if you tell what you know or have seen, that somebody may do something bad to you, needs to change," she said.

John McLean, assistant commissioner of police for community safety and security, said 38 community-policing areas had been established in the 19 police divisions across the country with much success.

The winners of the poster competition were seven-year-old Alexander Kristoff of Stella Maris Preparatory School; Shanique Benjamin, 11, of Corinaldi Primary School; and 18-year-old Linton Headley of Cornwall College.

They were not present at the ceremony but won $10,000 in cash, a phone from Digicel and their schools were given plaques.

The winners' posters will be mounted at the Norman Manley International Airport early this week and will remain until mid-January.