Criminals head to Manchester - Quiet parish provides hideout for lottery scammers and others on the run

Corey Robinson, Staff Reporter

Criminals, including major players in the infamous lottery scam, are heading to Manchester where they are finding hideouts in the homes of unsuspecting residents who are giving them the traditional warm welcome of the often cool parish.

The matter is of growing concern to Assistant Commissioner of Police Derrick 'Cowboy' Knight, who heads the police Area Three, which covers Clarendon, Manchester and St Elizabeth.

Knight last week warned that if residents are not proactive, the deadly lottery scam could literally turn up at their doorsteps.

According to Knight, Manchester can be dubbed as the "mecca" for returning residents who tend to be more accepting of strangers, especially those offering homeowners large sums of money to rent premises.

"Except for Clarendon, the other two divisions (Manchester and St Elizabeth) are laid-back and residents are not as pro-active. They will see strangers in the community and it means nothing to them," Knight told The Sunday Gleaner.

"Because of this, the migrant criminals see it as a feeding tree to come into the area and build roots," Knight continued, while singling out lottery scammers from St James and gangsters from the neighbouring Clarendon and St Catherine.

Six months rent up front

In some instances, lottery scammers have offered Manchester homeowners more than six months rent up front as part of their effort to avoid the heat put on them by police in St James.

"Persons would be out on their lawns and a man just walks up and say 'beg you some water', and without asking any questions, people go into their houses to get the water and when they come back out the man is there with a gun and him push them back inside the house and rob them," said Knight, as he described a recent incident in the parish.

He charged that in some areas of Manchester, and to a lesser extent St Elizabeth, migrant criminals are buying the silence of residents.

"The police are doing their best by routinely checking on certain persons of interests, researching the backgrounds of other questionable newcomers and shady businessmen, and working with social-intervention groups in the areas, but the residents will have to help themselves as well," said Knight.

"We are saying to people that anywhere you see a man, young boys, between the ages of 18 and 35, who are able to pay six months' rent at a time, it's a signal. Many of them own pit bulls and other fierce dogs.

"The dog helps to keep the police at bay until the criminals get rid of what they need to get rid of during a raid," added Knight, as he pointed to the wealthy scammers who turn up at a party or dance and "just buy out a bar".

The veteran cop warned landlords that it is against the law to knowingly harbour a criminal or to allow criminal activities in their homes.