By John Myers, Jr. Staff Reporter
Students returning home from school in Hannah Town, West Kingston, cross barbed wire barricades set up by the security forces to limit movement into and out of the community during the anti-crime initiative. - Norman Grindley /Staff Photographer
THE GOVERNMENT'S reconfigured anti-crime initiative implemented in December 2002 in some inner-city communities in the Corporate Area of Kingston and St. Andrew, has resulted in a sharp reduction in major crime in those areas.
Police statistics show that since the security forces went into the communities of Hannah Town, west Kingston, and Payne Avenue, south-west St. Andrew, last year, all major crimes, except sexual offences, have been slashed by an average of almost 50 per cent when compared to the period preceding the intervention.
In the Payne Land area the number of murders declined by three in the period from December 2002 to now. Prior to December 2002, seven cases of murders were recorded. There was no record of any robbery this year; last year there was one.
The number of shootings this year declined to two, compared to five for the similar period last year. However, the number of sexual offences reported this year increased to two - a case of rape and a case of carnal abuse; last year there was none.
In Hannah Town in the Kingston Western Police Division, where the security forces have reduced their presence, murders, shootings, robberies, breakings and enterings and larceny all declined in 2003, but sexual offences increased during the corresponding period in 2002.
Police figures show that 44 murders have been reported in 2003 compared to 58 in 2002. Shootings declined by almost half from 88 last year to 48 this year. Robberies declined from 45 last year to 39 while breakings and enterings followed a downward trend with 27 cases reported last year compared to 23 for this year. There were two cases of larceny compared to 10 last year.
Jolted by a significant rise in crime in the period before the security forces were moved in exactly a year ago today, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson unveiled a new anti-crime initiative which authorises the police and the military to become more proactive in their operations. The military was assigned to help dismantle a group of highly armed "internationally-linked" gangs.
Under the initiative both the police and military were deployed in large numbers to impose curfews in the volatile inner-city communities.
Other areas which came under the new anti-crime initiative recorded success in the reduction of crime.
The inner-city community of Tel Aviv, central Kingston, has experienced a reduction in crime. Since the implementation of the plan in April, there have been no reports of murders, shootings or woundings, according to the police. The area within the curfew zone has reported one incidence of rape and a case of carnal abuse.
However, from January 2002 to March 2003 there were 19 cases of murder, 16 cases of shooting, 18 cases of wounding, a case of rape and a case of incest.
