Nagra Plunkett, Staff Reporter
KERR-JARRETT
WESTERN BUREAU:
PRESIDENT OF the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, Mark Kerr-Jarrett, is appealing to the citizenry of St. James to unite with the police in a renewed effort to reduce the high rate of crime and violence plaguing the parish.
Mr. Kerr-Jarrett made the call against the background of last Tuesday night's shooting death of a man in Irwin Heights, St. James, during a crime spree by four gunmen, who also invaded sections of Trelawny.
"The citizens need to be more vigilant in their community and neighbourhood watches," he said. "It is gonna take the whole nation to take a stand against crime ... this barbarism is intolerable."
Seventy-two murders have been committed in St. James since the start of the year, 21 more than the corresponding period in 2004. There have been 119 reported cases of robberies while 33 illegal firearms have been recovered by the lawmen.
The MoBay Chamber president added that he welcomes the Government's move to amend legislation to facilitate the conviction of accused persons by scientific evidence. He suggested that in bolstering the police force's forensic capabilities, the possibility of hiring scientists should also be explored.
"Crime has moved forward in technology and organisation and we have to get ahead of them," he added.
