Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER of Police Mark Shields says the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is unable to increase its numbers in St. Ann to fight crime.
Despite this, president of the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce, Humphrey Taylor, believes there were positives coming out of a meeting last Thursday with the senior cop.
DCP Shields had met with the citizens at the Sandals Dunn's River hotel. The meeting took place as a result of a formal request from the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce and the St. Ann chapter of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association.
CRIME CONCERN
Both organisations were concerned about a rise in crime in St. Ann.
"He assured us that the (Operation) Kingfish team is moving around and that has been having an effect," Mr. Taylor told The Gleaner yesterday.
He said DCP Shields told his audience that scarce resources have prevented the JCF from spreading its wings in other areas that have experienced a jump in crime.
However, he gave some safety tips which included not going to automated banking machines (ABMs) at night and taking different routes home.
Business interests initiated last week's meeting following three incidents in the past two months.
In April, an 11-year-old boy was kidnapped in Ocho Rios while, on May 12, the Ocho Rios branch of the Dehring, Bunting and Golding bank was robbed of $15 million.
