By Adrian Frater, News EditorWESTERN BUREAU:
BUSINESS LEADERS in Montego Bay, St. James, the island's tourism capital and second city, yesterday backed a police plan to deploy in the parish, 21 hand-picked police personnel who have had previous experience serving in the St. James Police Division.
In endorsing the plan, which is aimed at curbing the escalating crime wave, the business leaders promised to provide the police with six unmarked vehicles to increase their mobility, and accommodation for police deployed to the parish on special assignments. In addition, the private sector leaders pledged to provide $200,000 worth of petrol to the police per month.
In disclosing the plan at a meeting between the St. James Police High Com-mand and business leaders in the parish, Senior Supt. John Morris made it clear that the police would be tackling criminals head-on in a bid to restore law and order to the crime-plagued parish.
EXPERIENCED POLICEMEN
"These experienced policemen will be placed in the problematic areas and, based on their knowledge of the communities and the criminals, we are expecting them to produce quick results," said SSP Morris, who is crime chief for the Jamaica Constabulary's Area One which is made up of the parishes of St. James, Westmoreland, Hanover and Trelawny. "We will also be drafting in a team of seasoned investigators to assist in the overall process," he added.
Godfrey Dyer, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (and a former policeman), who spearheaded the initiative to secure the cars and provide the petrol for the police, said that "as stakeholders in this parish, we believe we have a duty to support the effort of the police. We are again renewing the call for outside help and much-needed equipment for the police."
Citing ways in which the business community could assist the general policing effort, Assistant Commissioner Linton Latty, commanding officer of the Jamaica Constabulary's Area One, asked business leaders to spearhead a lobby for better manning of ports to stem the flow of guns, the removal of zinc fences in inner-city areas to improve access, and for better roads and street lights in problem-plagued areas.
As part of a long-term strategy to maintain a close link between the police and business leaders, a special committee, headed by businessman Mark Kerr-Jarrett, has been set up to meet with the police once a month to evaluate the progress and to look at new strategies, where necessary.
"It is important that we meet regularly because we are all stakeholders in this battle to stop the criminals", said SSP Morris. "I specially want this monthly meeting because what we are planning to do will demand some amount of accountability."
