WESTERN BUREAU:
MEMBER OF Parliament for the volatile constituency of North West St. James, Dr. Horace Chang, yesterday issued a call for military patrols in Norwood to stem its high incidence of murders.
"We have to consider immediately introducing military patrols, that have the equipment and training to enter into some difficult areas where the police may not be able to go," remarked Dr. Chang, who is also a deputy leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
RESTORE ORDER AND SAFETY
He was speaking during a press briefing at the Wexford Court in Montego Bay, St. James.
"I am calling for this move
in Montego Bay immediately,
to restore a sense of order and safety to a community where fear now prevails," he said.
North West St. James accounts for more than half the 70 murders committed in the parish since January.
In April, the St. James police fingered four major criminal networks, most of whose members hail from Norwood, which they say are responsible for the upsurge of violence in the division.
The killings in the Norwood/ Glendevon areas include two double murders and two triple murders, one of which occurred Thursday morning.
Ironically this was the same day the mega cruise liner, Freedom of the Seas, made its maiden call to Montego Bay.
DESTROY TOURISM INDUSTRY
Dr. Chang continued: "If the issues of the inner-city areas are not resolved, they are going to destroy the tourism industry ... Montego Bay's success affects the entire island because it is still the hub for the industry."
He reiterated that there is a need for social mechanisms to re-engage the young men, as seven out of every 10 are school dropouts and provide a pool of recruits for criminal activities.
