Two in custody in relation to Effortville murders; police urge others to turn selves in

The police now have two persons of interest in custody, in relation to Wednesday's and Thursday's spate of murders in Effortville, May Pen, Clarendon.

Their identities are not being released at the moment.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force's senior communication strategist, Dennis Brooks, said one person turned himself in yesterday and a second today. He said the other persons of interest have until midday on Monday to turn themselves in questioning.

Brooks said the police will be issuing statement naming the persons of interest shortly. 

The latest development comes following a tour of the community today by Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang; Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson, Member of Parliament for Clarendon Central, Mike Henry and other members of the security forces. 

Speaking to reporters following a tour, Anderson affirmed the most recent developments in the case and called the violence afflicting the community "unfortunate." 

Five people, including a married couple, have died in the series of killings, which residents say erupted over a dispute over a motor cycle. As a result, Clarendon Central has been under a 96-hour curfew since 5:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon.

"It's a very unfortunate situation, but that speaks to the volatile nature of things and this sort of senseless response of violence when things happen," he said, also making reference to an incident, where someone was shot after asking a man to put on a mask before entering an establishment.  

The commissioner expressed confidence that the added resources deployed to the area and parish, as well as the support received from the military, should help to diffuse the tensions in Clarendon.

"The combination of those things should bring things back on track and create a certain sense of calm, peace to Clarendon once again," he said. 

However, Chang said in order to succeed and to achieve justice, the police need the cooperation of citizens. 

"We urge all citizens, whatever knowledge they have, to give the information to the police, to overcome the active levels of criminality," he said. 

He pointed out that informal communities in the area, as with several volatile communities in Jamaica, poses a challenge to the police. 

"If they drive they are at risk, because the vehicles can't go beyond a certain pace, if they walk, they are at risk," he remarked. 

Pointing out that 25 per cent of the Jamaican population live in informal settlements, also known as squatter communities, Chang said the development of informal settlements, through the efforts of the Ministry of Housing, is part of the long term solution to address the social problems that contribute to violence. 

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