St James stakeholders to double down on crime after Emancipendence
Published:Tuesday | July 19, 2022 | 12:05 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The St James Municipal Corporation [StJMC] is gearing up for a stakeholders’ meeting with members of the St James Police Division after the western city’s Emancipation and Independence celebrations, in order to address several pressing matters concerning crime in the parish.
Montego Bay Mayor Leeroy Williams, the chairman of the StJMC, consented to arranging the meeting in response to a call made by Superintendent of Police Eron Samuels, head of operations for the St James police, during Thursday’s monthly meeting of the municipal corporation.
“For the St James police, this month has been one that we have done some amount of work, and I am happy to report that we are seeing things heading in the right direction. What I am looking at is that this requires a collaborative effort, and I am proposing for a meeting with the agencies who are directly involved in the security of the township, to have that special meeting to look at vending and parking areas, to see where we can streamline it,” said Samuels.
“Very well, because there are various infractions taking place across the city, and some of that we need to urgently address,” said Williams.
While the St James police have achieved some success in their fight against criminal elements, with 91 illegal weapons seized in the parish since January and nine wanted persons taken into custody, St James recorded 230 major crimes to date, including 29 murders between May and June.
During the period January 1 to July 6 this year, St James recorded 112 murders, compared to 87 for the same period in 2021. Concerns have been raised about the reports of crime in communities such as Anchovy and Barrett Town in particular.
Samuels also informed the StJMC that meetings are underway between the police and event promoters. ahead of the staging of Reggae Sumfest 2022 in Montego Bay.
“For traffic management, based on the size of that event [Reggae Sumfest] and the importance it brings to Area One, the planning for the event is being done at the area level. We have been meeting with the promoters and looking through the areas that may have caused issues before, and to see how best we can mitigate against those,” said Samuels.
“The fact is that, when you have large events like this, it opens the door for other crimes to be committed. We are trying not to leave any stones unturned. So we will be getting assistance from specialised operations, the military, and also our local police officers, to ensure your divisions are safe while Sumfest is taking place.”