Domestic Dispute Unit established in Trelawny, St James

WESTERN BUREAU:

The police in St James and Trelawny now have a new crime-fighting initiative in their toolbox – the Domestic Dispute Unit – dedicated to dealing with domestic issues which have sparked confrontations that led to murders in both parishes in recent times.

In announcing the new initiative, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Clifford Chambers, the police commander for Area One, told The Gleaner that the unit comprising 60 people is now up and running in the two parishes.

Chambers said he had a meeting with former Deputy Commissioner of Police Novelette Grant, which addressed the matter of domestic dispute resolution methods. The new unit and its terms of reference are the fruits of that meeting.

“Former Deputy Commissioner Novelette Grant reached out to me and we have trained over 60 persons in the parish of St James and Trelawny in domestic dispute resolution methods,” said Chambers.

“We use the police, we use civilians, we use counsellors, ex-police officers, persons who have influence in their community, to somehow teach them how they can help the community in which they live and to work and associate with these persons to see how best they can settle some of these disputes,” added Chambers.

He said the hope is to get the unit to intervene and settle disputes before they escalate into violence, which could result in people being killed.

Since the start of the year, 27 murders have been recorded across the parish of St James, and ACP Chambers said several of them stemmed from domestic-related issues, including jealousy.

The senior policeman said two recent murders, a female found dead in a motor vehicle in Westgate Hills, Montego Bay; and a man shot dead outside Harmony Park in the downtown section of the city, are suspected to be in that category.

“We are looking at the numbers and not looking at the circumstances behind these murders. If you look, for instance, at Alitia Clarke (the Westgate Hill victim), she was found with gunshot wounds in a Toyota motor car. Obviously she was not murdered there, she was wrapped in a sheet and the body left there,” said Chambers.

“Investigations are pointing to a domestic issue because she was last seen alive with her boyfriend with whom she was engaged in a dispute about her going out with friends,” added Chambers, who noted that the boyfriend has not been located.

In the case of Albert Reid who was found dead with bullet wounds in his motor vehicle outside Harmony Park, Chambers said that incident is also pointing to domestic violence.

“These are the issues that the Domestic Dispute Resolution team will address in an attempt to prevent them from happening,” said Chambers.

He said that similar teams will be formed in the parishes of Hanover and Westmoreland once suitable people are recruited and trained.