By Nagra Plunkett, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
"WE HAVE put our telescope on Montego Bay from our headquarters and we will be watching his every move." These were the words of Commissioner of Police Francis Forbes to Superintendent Newton Amos, the new commanding officer for the parish of St. James and Deputy Superintendent Derrick 'Cowboy' Knight to business interests at a press conference in Montego Bay recently. These two officers replace Senior Superintendent Owen Ellington and his crime chief, DSP Roy Boyd, both of whom were transferred to the Corporate Area.
The hierarchy of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has declared an all-out war against crime for 2003, with special emphasis being placed on western Jamaica, particularly Montego Bay, in St. James.
Commissioner Forbes has given his commitment to have more special anti-crime activities carried out in the West. This will include the use of special police squads from Kingston. If these operations are in any way similar to those conducted in the West late last year by Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams and his Crime Management Unit (CMU), and Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Keith 'Trinity' Gardener, then the move might bear some fruit. Indeed, if the police in Montego Bay carry out the mandate given to them by Commissioner Forbes with the same vigour as he expressed it, then a reduction in criminal activity in the parish would not be too far away. Another pressing problem that the police must place at the top of their agenda this year is controlling the flow of traffic in the city. There is need to have strategies in place to deal with this issue. Commissioner Forbes said, "We have to bring back law and order to the streets!"
Superintendent Amos said he intends to look at the traffic congestion in Montego Bay seriously. "I've already formulated a plan to deal with that and I am gonna be seeking the assistance of the stakeholders involved in Montego Bay," he commented. Clearly, this is not only a problem for the police. The elected representatives and civil organisations must join with the police and initiate an aggressive approach towards dealing with the traffic problem in the city. Despite all the planning, the fact is that Montego Bay is just too small for the number of motor vehicles travelling through the city each day. This is why the proposed Montego Bay bypass must be expedited.
I hope that Commissioner Forbes lives up to his promise to garner the resources needed by his men in the fight against crime and lawlessness. The new recruits to be deployed in 'second city' will augment its police contingent. There is also the urgent need for new service vehicles to boost the existing fleet.
If promises by the security forces bear fruits, some new high-speed vessels for the marine police and marine posts in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, and other coastal areas will provide for effective monitoring of the coastline and help to cripple the already dented drug trade.
