Mentorship programme coming to help reduce murders in St Ann

Following a reduction of 21 per cent in the St Ann murder rate for 2021, compared to the previous year, Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of the parish, Dwight Powell, says the division will introduce additional measures in an effort to further reduce the figures.

Citing that half of the 55 murders committed last year were domestic-related, Powell said the police would be “putting some significant resources behind settling those incidents”.

To this end, he said a mentorship programme will be introduced as part of an overall increase in community interventions by the police.

“We are going to be seeking volunteers to help to mentor our young people, to ensure that they have some positive role models to work with. We will replace the scammers, we will replace the gangsters with positive role models,” Powell said recently.

“And so, (concerning) all station commanders in St Ann, one of the things we will do is to bridge our community intervention ... our partnership. I have one of the best community safety and security sections in the island, and so community engagement will form a pivotal role in terms of what we are trying to accomplish for this year.”

Powell urged residents of the parish to continue using available resources, including a domestic violence intervention centre in Alexandria and a justice centre in St Ann’s Bay, to resolve their differences amicably.

The parish has seen an increase in murders since the start of the year. Figures from the Jamaica Constabulary Force show that from January 1 to 29, there were seven murders in St Ann, up from six for the corresponding period last year.

Powell also warned criminals against committing crimes in St Ann, saying there is no room in the parish for them.

“I want to say to persons who are hell-bent on committing crime and violence in St Ann, take away yourself because there is no place in St Ann, no room at all in St Ann for criminals and criminality,” Powell stated.

He added that the police are resolved to ensuring that St Ann remains one of the safest parishes.

The JCF crime figures also show that for St Ann, shootings are down to two, from four; rape is down to four, from seven. Meanwhile, robbery has increase from two to 10 and break-ins rose from four to five.

Carl Gilchrist