By Claude Mills and John Myers, Jnr., Staff Reporters
Six-year-old Shamar Fox, a participant in the Kingston Central police/Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) Leadership Enhancement Programme, gives his undivided attention to Police Commissioner Francis Forbes before the launch of the event yesterday at the East Queen Street Baptist Church, downtown Kingston. - Norman Grindley /Staff Photographer
HIGHLY MOBILE and well-organised criminal gangs are punching major holes in the Government's latest offensive on criminal activities in the country. Yesterday, Police Commissioner Francis Forbes admitted that aspects of the crime initiative had failed and that it was necessary to return to the drawing board to come up with a new plan.
Commissioner Forbes, who was speaking to reporters following the launch of the Kingston Central police/Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica leadership and enhancement programme at the East Queen Street Baptist Church yesterday, said the aim of the police in slashing homicides by at least 20 per cent "right now, is out the window."
"I think we have to go back to the drawing board. We had hoped that by now we would have been at least 15 per cent (of the target) and we did get very close to that," Commissioner Forbes said.
However, he noted that reprisal killings and domestic violence particularly in western Jamaica, coupled with violent outbreaks from the recent Local Government elections in sections of Corporate Area,
have contributed largely to the rise in murders. Figures obtained from the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) indicate that there were 570 murders since January compared with 566 for the same period last year, an increase of one per cent.
"With major crimes we are (over) 400 less crimes but homicide is up by one per cent... we are going in the right direction," said the Police Commissioner.
He pointed out that the police have been able to "make a dent in the drug trade and that has really helped us keep a cap on some of the potential crimes that could have been committed."
Mr. Forbes also mentioned the cops' success in limiting the trans-shipment of illegal ammunition into the island. In the Corporate Area alone, the police have maintained curfews in the 'Tel-Aviv' area of Kingston Central, areas of Mountain View in eastern Kingston, in Payne Avenue, south west St. Andrew, and in Hannah Town, western Kingston. There is also a police command post in the Red Hills Road and Kintyre communities in St. Andrew.
CRIMINALS MIGRATING
Superintendent Claude Samuels of the Hunts Bay Police Station believes that the curfews, while effective on the surface, have only forced the hardened criminals to migrate to other areas.
"The initiative in Payne Avenue has been holding, however, I feel that all it has done really is to drive out the gunmen... they have migrated," he said. "And I am not pleased with the work of the other Government entities who had promised to implement some social programmes to tackle the problems."
The crime initiatives in Payne Avenue and in Hannah Town were linked to the sustained offensive against criminal gangs announced by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson in a broadcast to the nation on December 1 last year.
However, statistics indicate that some serious criminal activities in police divisions such as St. Catherine North and St. Catherine South have exploded over the last eight months.
"What we're experiencing in St. Catherine North is not phenomenal; it has happened from time immemorial in this parish. We know that the gangs are moving, and we know of cases where there are criminal gangs from the Corporate Area operating in the area but 90 per cent of the killings in this division are turf wars, a result of in-fighting and control over the extortion racket in Spanish Town," Deputy Superin-tendent Merrick Watson, of St. Catherine North, said.
Murders have increased by almost 50 per cent in St. Catherine North, from 44 in the year 2002 to 67 for the corresponding period in 2003. Shootings have increased almost 100 per cent in St. Catherine North from 58 in 2002 to 103 in 2003, and increased marginally in St. Catherine South from 53 in 2002 to 60 for the corresponding period this year.
JUSTIFYING STRATEGY
Questioned as to whether the lengthy curfews in the Corporate Area trouble spots had siphoned away resources from an effective overall crime-fighting plan, Deputy Commissioner of Police Lucius Thomas responded:
"The initiatives (curfews) don't siphon away resources from other areas because we use the Mobile Reserve, and we give each division the responsibility of making the initiative work by juggling the manpower they have that is available. These operations save lives, and maintain the peace."
Incidents of murders, shootings, rape and carnal abuse have also increased this year in St. James when compared to the corresponding period in 2002.
In the interim, the curfews are still in operation. The Kingston Central police confirmed that 37 persons have been arrested in connection with several crimes committed in the area since the imposition of a curfew almost four months ago in Laws Street (Tel-Aviv). Four firearms, 92 cartridges and four firearm magazines have been seized.
According to Superintendent Carlton Wilson, who is in charge of the Kingston Central police, the command post has had a positive impact on suppressing criminal activities.
"However, we have had shootings on the eastern side, that is the Southside area, which is outside the parameters of the curfew in the Tel-Aviv area. Our curfew has worked," Superintendent Wilson said.
