Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
Senior Superintendent Newton Amos inspects a Smith and Wesson gun seized during a shoot-out in the Majesty Gardens area of St. Andrew earlier this month. One man was shot dead by the police during the shoot-out. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer
Jamaica's homicide count stood at a frightening 411 at the end of March, according to police crime statistics. Three of the country's bloodiest divisions St. Andrew South, St. Catherine North, and St. James have contributed to just under half of the number of persons murdered since January. These are the prime areas which Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas said he would be targeting. Recently, he said that he would be increasing the relevant resources in these divisions, in order to reduce the murder rate.
ST. CATHERINE NORTH
Police working with communities
MURDERS SINCE JANUARY: 56
COMMANDING OFFICER: Superintendent Kenneth Wade
WHILE COMMISSIONER Thomas has increased the human resources in the violence-prone St. Catherine North division, the commanding officer, Superin-tendent Kenneth Wade, said soldiers were not deployed to this division.
"The soldiers are not here as yet, but we have been using an intervention process to defuse feuds between rival factions," he said.
Elaborating on the point, the officer explained that the intervention of the Peace Management Unit (PMI) dialogue with the leadership of the communities and assistance of local support groups, are the tools he has been using to reduce tension between the communities.
Superintendent Wade said the police have been silently working with both governmental and non-governmental organisations to take on various roles in the communities. These could help tackle problems, such as the high illiteracy rate, the deep rooted social problems and political divisions.
SOUTH ST. ANDREW
Intelligence unit doing a good job
MURDERS SINCE JANUARY: 69
COMMANDING OFFICER: Superintendent Newton Amos Superintendent Amos said his divisional intelligence unit is doing a fantastic job.
"THIS IS a unit that helped us to recovered 27 of the 105 guns we seized last year. I depend on this unit to deploy my resources on a daily basis," said Supt. Amos, who added that there were at least 90 arrests in connection with the weapons found.
The unit, which is one of those spearheading the Jamaica Con-stabulary Force's modernisation process, has helped the St. Andrew South police to target specific individuals, rather than carrying out mass round-ups of detainees.
One of Superintendent Amos' main concerns is the poor success in the courts.
This he blamed on the unwillingness of witnesses to testify in court, faulty preparation of case files and the absence of police personnel from court, which sometimes resulted in the release of the accused persons.
"Disciplinary actions are being taken against some of these policemen," said Supt. Amos. "Some of the charges are criminal ones and others are internal."
Among the obstacles faced by the lawmen in St. Andrew South is a shortage of safety equipment.
ST. JAMES DIVISION
Tourism sector pledges aid
MURDERS SINCE JANUARY: 40
COMMANDING OFFICER: Senior Superintendent K.K. Knight
SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT K.K. Knight of the St. James Division when contacted on Tuesday declined to comment on the crime situation in his division, asking to be interviewed at a later date.
The tourism and other business interests in the parish have expressed serious concern about the galloping crime problem in the resort. Last year, a group of business interests committed to provide resources, such as vehicles and petrol to assist the police in the fight against crime and violence in the parish.
