Despite major investments and ongoing crime-fighting initiatives in western Jamaica, the region continues to struggle with high levels of violence, as reflected in the latest Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) crime report. The western parishes, particularly St James, remain hotspots for murders and shootings, despite a slight reduction in incidents when compared to last year. Police commanders, including Superintendent Andrew Nish in Hanover and Superintendent Eron Samuels in St James, have issued a stern warning to criminals, emphasising that they will not tolerate violence and will continue to intensify efforts to remove illegal weapons and gang members from the streets. 

Western Ja murders dip but still unacceptably high for stakeholders

Jamaica Gleaner/28 Nov 2024/Adrian Frater/Gleaner Writer 

DESPITE MAJOR investments aimed at boosting the region’s crimefighting capabilities, western Jamaica, based on the latest Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) serious crimes report, is still struggling to cauterise the violence that has made it the bloodiest section of the island.

Based on the statistics for St James, Trelawny, Westmoreland, and Hanover, of the 1,039 murders recorded in Jamaica between January 1 and November 23, the four western parishes account for 277, which is 83 fewer than last year. However, with resources including the unveiling of the Beat Officer Patrol Division in St James and the additional police personnel deployed to the region, some stakeholders are far from pleased with the statistics.

“We are grateful that the numbers are trending down over last year, but 277 murders are still way too high for a region where we are inviting tourists to vacation ... . It is unacceptable,” said a businessman who was only prepared to comment if The Gleaner shielded his identity. “One murder is one murder too much. We need to see the count dropping below the 100 mark and keep going down.”

FEAR OF BACKLASH

Players in the tourism sector, who stand to lose significantly from a high crime rate as it often triggers travel advisories from the United States and Canada, were wary about discussing the crime situation on the record out of fear that their businesses could suffer unfavourable backlash, also expressed a desire to see the murder figures dipping further.

In St James, which has consistently registered more than 100 murders every year since 2005, including a record 335 in 2017, is currently the island’s most murderous police division with 117 homicides though it is a 31.6 per cent reduction over last year’s 171 for the comparative period. Shootings have only seen a slight reduction from 102 to 99.

When Superintendent of Police Eron Samuels took charge of the St James division in April, he promised stakeholders that he would be striving to remove wanted men and illegal guns from the streets of the parish. He has largely done so, seizing record numbers of illegal firearms and apprehending numerous high-value criminal targets.

However, with hardened gangsters breaching even the well-established zones of special operations (ZOSOS) in Mt Salem to commit brazen daylight murders, Samuels either needs additional resources or more tweaking of strategies because the parish remains a major challenge.

In Westmoreland, where the Grange Hill-based King Valley gang and their archrivals, the Ants Posse gang, wreaked havoc earlier this year – shooting, maiming, and murdering with impunity – the parish has also seen a slight reduction in murders and shootings over the comparative period last year. So far this year, there have been 94 murders and 94 shootings, which is slightly less than last year’s 101 murders and 107 shootings.

Nonetheless, the Westmoreland police have managed to neutralise a robbery syndicate in the parish, killing four gangsters and seizing several firearms, including rifles, when they thwarted a brazen attempt to rob a Beryllium courier vehicle in Negril. In September, they enjoyed more success when the parish’s most wanted man, Carlington ‘Tommy’ Godfrey, who was implicated in numerous murders, was killed in an alleged shoot-out.

In Hanover, which was once the nation’s most peaceful parish but has now become a haven for gangsters fleeing justice in St James and Westmoreland, there has been a substantial dip in murders so far this year, dropping from last year’s 64 to 44. However, shooting has seen an increase, moving up from 37 to 49.

“We want to make it clear to the violence producers that I am not prepared to co-exist with them. I am not the one that will be leaving,” experienced crime-fighter Police Superintendent Andrew Nish told The Gleaner when he took command of the parish earlier this year.

“Under my watch, no criminal will be allowed to make life difficult for law-abiding citizens.”

In Trelawny, where the police commander, Superintendent Winston Milton, has been leading from the front in mopping up the remnants of the notorious Ski Mask gang, the parish has recorded 22 murders this year, which is two less than the comparative period last year. Shooting incidents remain the same, at 13, which makes Trelawny home to a spate of recent multimillion-dollar investments in tourism, the safest parish in the west.

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