Holness warns police against asking dons for help in zones of special operations

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has warned cops to steer clear of dons as they seek to engage community leaders in violence prevention when the Zones of Special Operations are implemented.

According to Holness, an important part of the joint police-military command in the zones is to restore the trust and confidence of citizens through community building.

He says their job is to convert the citizens into crime fighting allies.

But Holness stresses that these allies must be community leaders who are well established and are known to be law abiding.

He says dons will not be used for community building interventions as the operation should not rely on any informal system of community leadership, justice or control, adding that the government will not legitimise dons.

Holness was addressing members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force at the Police Officers’ Club in Kingston.

He said the objective of the zones is to bring down homicides by cutting off the capability and opportunity of criminals.

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