Fitz Jackson, Alando Terrelonge suggest possible solutions to cauterise the scourge

Despite the number of killings so far in Portmore trailing that of last year, there is concern that the proliferation of gangs and the failure of the police to effectively control them are fuelling the wave of criminality now gripping the ‘Sunshine City’.

Member of Parliament for South St Catherine, Fitz Jackson, says the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) failure to put a dent in crime has diminished the confidence of Portmore residents, making them reluctant to share information to help criminal proceedings while the number of gangs multiply at a rapid pace.

According to Jackson, the South St Catherine Police have identified 16 active gangs between Portmore and Old Habour, who have been fingered as the perpetrators behind the criminal activities.

“If we can identify the gangs, then we need some more focal attention on them being the perpetrators of acts like these to apprehend them with some swiftness, bring the cases to trial with swiftness, and let the force of the justice system come to bear and the perpetrators which is to restore some amount of confidence in the minds of the people within the Portmore area,” he told Our Today.

The JCF’s crime figures show that 64 murders have been committed in the South St Catherine Police Division, of which Portmore is a part, up to August 12. This is compared to 77 over the same period a year ago.

Member of Parliament for East Central, St Catherine Alando Terrelonge, said that while the overall crime rate for the division has decreased, gangs in Portmore have grown in confidence, contributing to higher levels of criminal activities in the area.

“The sort of terrorists that are operating within the Portmore space are becoming very daring. They have no respect for democracy, they have no respect for law and order, and they have no respect for lives and livelihood, and that for me is very serious,” Terrelonge told Our Today.

He recounted two recent incidents of arson attacks occurred in Gregory Park. The first incident in Portmore Villa, Gregory Park, saw four houses set a blaze and 15 people left homeless. Less than two weeks later, another attack occurred, this time on residents of Walkers Avenue, leaving more than 50 people homeless.

There have also been previous incidents of high-level robberies involving security courier trucks that Terrelonge believes are evidence that new and innovative approaches are needed to address crime in the municipality, such as zones of special operations (ZOSO), special police posts, and drone technology.

“I believe drones will be very useful. If there is a ZOSO, a special police post, and the heightened use of technology, particularly the use of drones, is incorporated into the policing in that space if there is a disturbance, the drones are up, they are there, and they can pinpoint and direct communications to the officers on the ground as to where the men are moving. It would make it less likely for them to evade the police,” the East Central St Catherine Member of Parliament outlined.

He further noted that communities in Gregory Park are informal and very hard to police because they include tracks and turfs that are not easily accessible by law enforcers. As such, he said the establishment of formal structures through the Housing, Opportunity, Production, and Employment (HOPE) Programme is another initiative to help put a damper on crime.

Social intervention programmes to improve the skill level, employment status, and education of residents in violent-prone communities and empower youths are other solutions suggested by Terrelonge.

“There is no empowerment that comes from holding a gun and from turning that gun on members of your own community, or anyone at all. At some point, they have to realise that they are doing themselves great harm and doing their communities great harm, and they’re doing great harm to the image of their country,” he stressed.

Residents urged to speak up

Jackson also stressed the importance of policing in high crime areas, adding that if the police increase their dominance and act swiftly, they can restore residents’ confidence in the system, which will improve the likelihood of them lodging a report to fast-track investigations.

He also urged community members to come forward and provide information to the police .

Terrelonge supported the call for community members to report crime, warning residents that if they do not speak up, they eventually will be held captive by gangs.

“The fear is the power of the gangs. Fear is the tool that they use to maintain this sort of captivity in which they hold communities. Unless and until community individuals shed themselves of this fear, the gangs will always think they’re in control and have some sort of sway over communities and individuals. As Jamaicans, we do have that fighting spirit, and we must resist the sort of slavery that these gangs want to hold communities in,” advised Terrelonge.