Bunting heads to Washington for help with lottery scamming
Published:Friday | July 17, 2015 | 6:18 PM
National Security Minister, Peter Bunting, is headed to Washington D.C. in the United States next week to seek more help to tackle the lottery scam, which has been contributing to escalating crime in western Jamaica.
Mr. Bunting and members of the security forces this afternoon toured sections of St. James where at least six people were killed over the last 24 hours.
Speaking with journalists during one of the stops in Rose Heights, Mr. Bunting stated that there were 112 more murders across the island so far this year, when compared with last year.
He added that said St. James, Hanover and Westmoreland, where the lottery scam thrives, account for 75 of these murders.
Mr. Bunting further said it is getting more difficult to identify those involved in the illegal activity as it has become less concentrated and now involves a wider cross-section of people.
He says the security forces will now be redoubling their efforts and as part of that he will be seeking help from the US to stem lottery scamming and other serious crimes:
National Security minister, Peter Bunting
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Clifford Blake, said additional resources are to be sent to St. James to help curb the crime problem in the parish.
DCP Blake also sought to assure residents of St. James that the police are serious about bringing crime under control across the parish.
Deputy Commissioner in charge of operations, Clifford Blake.
The national security minister, Peter Bunting said curfews could be imposed in the parish.
Among those killed last night are 63-year-old Phillip Campbell and 42-year-old Kevin Campbell, both of Rose Heights in St. James; 42-year-old David Dilbert and his 31-year-old relative Patrick Williams, and 31-year-old Sean Hudson, all of Norwood addresses.
Reports are that residents of Rose Heights heard explosions and summoned the police.
On their arrival, Phillip Campbell and Kevin Campbell were found suffering from gunshot wounds and were subsequently pronounced dead at hospital.
Meanwhile, in Norwood in the parish, Dilbert and Williams were attacked and shot dead by unknown assailants, while Hudson was shot and killed in another section of the community.