According to Nelson, the need to galvanise efforts to fight crime transcends everything.

"It transcends religion, it transcends politics, it transcends all affiliation, and it is subject to one consideration: that we are all Jamaicans and we have to bring back Jamaica."

Minister Nelson was speaking at the latest National Consultation on Crime that was hosted in Manchester on Thursday at the Golf View Hotel.

He explained to the residents that the consultations were being held to review the crime situation in each parish and take on board recommendations that could be incorporated into the ministry's crime-fighting strategies.

"We need to break the back of our historical approach where we who create policy sit in our little enclaves, create policies and hand them down to the people and say this is what is going to be done."

Nelson also used the opportunity to encourage the Manchester community to restore community policing. He reminded them that the police alone could not fight crime.

Members of the Manchester community raised a number of concerns to the panel. Some of the issues included police corruption, a lack of proper responses from the police to reports of crime, respect for the police, implementation of a national ID, the need for more police vehicles and covert operations, increased night patrols, dangers faced by the police, and increasing the use of technology to fight crime.

Suggestions to be reviewed

Nelson said the concerns would be addressed and said suggestions would be reviewed and incorporated into the ministry's policies where applicable.

Other panellists at the forum included Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security Major Richard Reese, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Glenmore Hinds, Mayor of Mandeville, Brenda Ramsay, and Members of Parliament in Manchester Dean Peart, Michael Peart and Peter Bunting, who is also opposition spokesman on national security.