By Erica James-King, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
TROUBLED BY the dramatic increase in murders and shootings in St. James, the police high command in the parish says it has revamped some crime-fighting strategies, as it seeks to put a dent in the upward swing in criminal activities in the parish.
It notes that it has redeployed some of its personnel in areas, which were not previously subjected to routine foot and mobile patrols.
"The substantive increase in crime in St. James is of great concern to the division, and to the commanding officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force," Deputy Superintendent Derrick Knight, St. James Crime Chief disclosed in an interview with The Gleaner. "We have increased spotchecks, raids, patrols by uniformed and plain clothes police personnel."
During spotchecks on Thursday the police seized three cars and scores of cutting implements. According to the lawmen, they suspect that the cars might have been part of a car-stealing ring and are "beefing up investigations" in the matter.
REVISED
Giving further details of the revised crime-fighting activities, DSP Knight said that at the start of the year, the St. James police paid more attention to the crime-prone areas of Glendevon, Norwood and Hart Street, noting they have now shifted their focus to include even quiet communities like Granville and Adelphi, where criminals might be hiding out. Seaview, Flankers and several streets in the Greater Montego Bay area, are now under keen surveillance by the cops.
In addition, the police now have some solutions to areas which were difficult to patrol because of the rugged terrain. "We have some landcruisers and other jeeps which we are putting into those rocky areas. In addition, in areas like Seaview Gardens which is inaccessible by vehicles, we have beefed up raids and intelligence gathering mechanisms."
INROADS
Meanwhile, Deputy Super-intendent Derrick "Cowboy" Knight, Crime Officer for St. James, says the police have made significant inroads into their probe into two double-murders in the parish , which occurred this month.
In the latest double-murder which took place in Flankers on the weekend, the police have now identified the two murder victims as eighteen-year-old Lance "Chin" Brown of Seaview Heights, Flankers and 23-year-old Damian "Townist" Newman of Norwood.
The police theorise that a dispute over a gun led to the demise of the two men, saying that investigations are pointing to clues that the killer in the double murder, was gunned down two days later. "We suspect that 38 year old George Williams of Seaview, Flankers who was killed two days after the double-murder was the chief suspect in the double murder," DSP knight told The Gleaner. "We have some leads and we are now hunting for Williams' killer."
