Howard Campbell, Gleaner WriterTHREE KIDNAPPINGS in five days last week sparked fear among some Jamaicans that another dimension was being added to the country's already frightening crime situation. But police officials say they see no trend developing, and insist there is no need to push the panic button.
"We're not a country known for this kind of crime but at the same we're watching how things are going and taking action by advising the public what measures to take to protect themselves," Superintendent Norman Gor-don, head of the Organised Crime Investigation Division, told The Sunday Gleaner.
On May 7, 36-year-old Lollette Salmon of Burnt Savannah, Westmoreland, was kidnapped by a group of men shortly after returning from the Sangster Inter-national Airport in Montego Bay. Her burnt body was found the next day in neighbouring Hanover parish.
Christine English, 55, a leading figure in the counselling treatment of HIV/ AIDS in this country, was abducted by a group of men on the evening of May 10 as she and her husband were entering their home in Craig Hill, St. Andrew. Initially, they demanded a $6 million ransom but later cut that figure to $2 million. The following day, Colin Largie was kidnapped by three men at his business place in Portmore. Like English, Largie was released un-harmed on Wednesday. Po-lice have made no arrests in any of the cases.
DEADLY ABDUCTIONS
Several kidnapping cases in Jamaica in the past four years have had unhappy endings. In July 2000, gas station operator, Sylvia Edwards, was abducted along Red Hills Road. She was later found dead in a shallow grave in University Heights. Three men were given life sentences for her murder in February last year.
In August 2002, Shortwood Teachers' College lecturer, Yvonne Beaumont-Walters and her cousin Jeffrey Beaumont, were carjacked in Kingston. Their decomposing bodies were discovered in a pit in Mountain View; no one has been charged.
On Wednesday, at a press conference to discuss the English case, Deputy Com-missioner of Police, Lucius Thomas, said police probes have found no links between the Salmon, English and Largie cases. He stressed that there was no evidence of any serial kidnapping about to take place in Jamaica. But Superintendent Adam Joseph of the Trinidad and Tobago Constabulary Force believes with the incidents taking place within days of each other, the situation warrants serious attention.
"It is very dangerous and can have serious and far-reaching implications. They have to deal with it early before it gets out of hand," said Joseph, who heads the Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Trinidad and Tobago, which has been besieged by kidnappers for nearly a decade.
Joseph told The Sunday Gleaner that since its formation in 1997, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit has "been able to successfully negotiate the release of most of the persons."
He added: "In some instances money is paid, but not all. This year, I am happy to say all the hostages (eight) have been released."
The Anti-Kidnapping Unit was formed at a time when kidnappings were becoming more frequent in the twin-island state, but the unit did not have immediate success. Statistics from the Central Statistical Office at the Ministry of Planning and Development in Trinidad and Tobago, show that there were 100 reported kidnappings in Trinidad and Tobago in 1998; that figure rose to 136 in 1999.
There was a significant dip in 2002 with only 29 cases but last year there were 48 kidnappings including that of Ronald John, a respected psychologist and brother of Appeal Court judge, Stanley John.
So concerned was the Trinidad and Tobago Govern-ment with the spate of kidnappings that it set up a committee headed by publisher Ken Gordon to look into the matter. In May, the Ken Gordon Committee Report was released and recommended that the Government im-pose a State of Emergency to stem the kidnappings.
DRUGS LINK
Superintendent Joseph told The Sunday Gleaner that most of the kidnappings in his country are drug-related. He added that many of the persons abducted are prominent players in Trinidad and Tobago's commercial sector. "Most of the cases they (kidnappers) demand money because the victims are perceived to have money," said Joseph. "A lot are legitimate businesspeople but oftentimes they are involved in drugs."
Superintendent Gordon says plans are afoot to establish a similar force in the Jamaica Constabulary Force to combat kidnapping. It is being considered by the hierarchy," he said.
For the time being, they are pushing measures they hope will make Jamaicans more aware. These include not to be routine with daily movements; telephone home ahead of arrival and making sure gates are properly closed before getting out of their car.
While there has been an increase in kidnappings here, it is Jamaica's unrelenting murder rate that remains the biggest concern for citizens.
Kevin Williams, customer relations manager at the Hawkeye Electronic Security Limited, says persons are prepared to shell out thousands of dollars for their safety.
"Crime has become something of a sixth sense, it is becoming more and more a concern," said Williams. He told The Sunday Gleaner that as crime goes up, so too has the demand for personal alarm equipment with the Panic Button and the Intrusion Protection System being the most popular buys. Both link a business place or home to the police station near the property or the contracted security company. The Panic Button has been utilised locally for years; a simple press on the knob alerts the police or security company.
The Intrusion Protection System is far more sensitive and versatile. Depending on the size of the property, it is automatically triggered whenever someone approaches key areas and sends out a signal to the police or security firm.
As effective as these gadgets are, Williams says many residents, especially in middle-class communities such as Jacks Hill and Riva Ridge still prefer the presence of security detail patrolling their neighbourhoods. "They want to see the teams more so we patrol the areas as often as we can," he said.
