Westmoreland Police head reports improvement in public order and safety

Commanding Officer for the Westmoreland Police Division, Superintendent Gary McKenzie, has indicated that the parish has seen an improvement in public order and safety since it instituted its “Sustainable Public Safety and Public Order” initiative.

Launched on May 25, McKenzie told JIS News that the police have executed 19 warrants, issued 73 traffic tickets and removed nine vehicle registration plates.

In addition, he noted that security personnel and National Water Commission representatives went to the Morgans Bridge area where 53 illegal connections were removed, including several from premises of criminal suspects and wanted men.

“We will be working with other agencies and give them full support all the time because what we aim to do is to build a lawful community. The police, along with the Jamaica Defence Force and other agencies, based on the support it has received through the SOE [State of Public Emergency], is intent on working with everybody within Westmoreland to bring the parish to a place of normalcy,” he said.

The SOE was declared in Westmoreland as well as St James and Hanover on April 30.

McKenzie said that since that time, Westmoreland has experienced a significant drop in serious crimes, including murders and shootings.

He explained that four murders have been recorded in the parish since the introduction of the security measure, as opposed to 43 before the SOE.

Additionally, he said five firearms have been recovered, 103 motorcycles seized, and several alleged lottery scammers apprehended.

“The Easter term of the Westmoreland Circuit Court commenced and we have some 60 murder cases that are before the court. That shows that we have been doing quite a bit of work in terms of our investigation,” said McKenzie. 

“We are targeting the wanted men, the persons of interest, criminal suspects and we are doing a lot of displacement raids. We want to get the parish to a place of normalcy and really potent economic and social development. So, we appeal to the public to work with us and give us the information,” he added.   

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