Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter
A joint JDF/Operation Kingfish and Anti-Crime and Mobile Reserve operation at Judgement Yard, August Town yesterday resulted in the finding of 13 high powered weapons and several rounds of ammunition. A number of men were taken into custody.
DECLARING YESTERDAY that the country was at war, Minister of National Security Dr. Peter Phillips said the government will be using the full capacity of the security forces, including the calling out of the Reserve, to launch an all out counter attack against criminal gangs.
Addressing graduates at the Passing Out Parade of the Jamaica Constabulary Force in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine, the Minister said he already has the full backing of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to carry out the mandate.
"We are at war, and we are only going to win by superior strategies and tactics, which are developed on the basis of superior intelligence," Dr. Phillips said. "The criminals are also developing their plan of action and it is the side which has the deeper links with the community which is gong to be the better informed."
SPECIALISED TRAINING
He explained that approximately 150 policemen will be added to the Special Anti-Crime Task Force (SACTF), with the first fifty to be placed immediately. The entire unit, Dr. Phillips said, would benefit benefit from specialised training exercise conducted by the country's international partners.
"The criminal gangs that have been spawned by the illegal drug trade have established their tentacles in selective communities where they use bribery and paramilitary violence to maintain control," he said. "The response of the law enforcement agencies to this reality must therefore be appropriate."
In recent weeks, criminal gangs and marauding gunmen have been wreaking havoc in several inner-city communities in the Corporate Area. The violence has not only resulted in the loss of many lives, it has also affected attendance at several schools, including students who had been registered to sit the GSAT exams.
HEAVY SECURITY PRESENCE
Dr. Phillips, in pointing out that the military and police are now "out in full force" , said heavy security presence will be felt in the areas of Spanish Town, August Town and East Kingston "where they will remain until the objectives have been realised.
"We can only respond to this criminal assault on our rights and freedoms by bringing out the full weight of the legal power of the state led by the army and the police, and to make sure every criminal takes into account the certainty of apprehension and justice," he said.
Dr. Phillips added: "I want every Jamaican to remove from their minds any illusion that this criminal elite that is wreaking havoc on our society has any interest in legal employment, of any type. They preside over a budget as big as that of the state. They use this wealth to bribe officials in critical institutions and to corrupt our sons and daughters, and use them as mules for their nefarious trade, and to keep up to date by purchasing sophisticated equipment with the most advanced technologies. In the case of one drug baron recently arrested, in one single day, some $60 million was withdrawn from one account by a few of his henchmen."
The Security Minister was, however, quick to add that it was important that the security forces immediately set about rebuilding the trust of residents in the affected communities, noting that their work will be a lot easier if they are successful in winning the support of the people.
"In all of this, none of these actions will have there full effect if at the same time we do not build a better trust between the police and military on the one hand and the members of the community who they are there to protect on the other," Dr. Phillips said. "This means every member of the JCF and JDF must conduct themselves in a manner to earn this trust by maintaining standards of personal discipline and integrity."
And to the graduates, he charged: "If the politician, uptown businessman - however high their status, break the law - you are expected to act impartially and with courage while upholding the law. You are free to hold partisan preferences, but you are prohibited from acting in a partisan manner while in the execution of your duties."
He added: "Too many families have been deprived of bread winners and loved ones. Too many law-abiding citizens are being prevented from going about their lawful business, free from fear. This means taking certain critical actions now, for which I have the assurance of the Prime Minister and Cabinet that resources where necessary will be found as a matter of national priority."
